According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics establishment survey, mining jobs are at a two-decade high in in the Mountain State. The chart below finds that the number of jobs in “Mining & Logging” in West Virginia was 36,200 in May 2013. This was higher than at any time over the last 23 years. The mining and logging sector consists of jobs in coal, natural gas and oil, and, to a very limited extent, the timber industry. While jobs in the coal industry have declined somewhat lately, it appears that strong growth in natural gas jobs has been enough to make up the difference.
