Jobs

An Ohio newspaper, weighing in on Trump administration proposals to bail out the faltering U.S. coal industry, argues that such initiatives will only deter economic development in more promising sectors. “The loss of coal-related jobs unquestionably has been painful for coal regions, and their anxiety is justified,” the Columbus Dispatch writes. “Trump has exploited that anxiety and anger, winning support by making promises that are bad for the country and most likely can’t be delivered anyway.”

South Carolina, one of 29 states reporting growth in solar-industry jobs, has about 3,000 residents employed in the sector. The two biggest centers of activity, both of which are on the southeastern edge of Appalachia, are Spartanburg (707 jobs) and Greenville (486). But a utility-company-supported state cap on solar installations stands to limit more growth. “Companies may soon have to cut their sales staff or market to other states.”

The latest government jobs report shows Wyoming, the biggest coal-producing state in the U.S., having added only five full-time coal-mining jobs since 2016. The industry is hampered by the rise of natural gas and renewables alongside customer preferences for clean electricity generation. “When companies don’t see a lot of positive on the horizon, they’re always reluctant to hire again,” said one Wyoming official.

Coal production near Hazard, Ky., has dropped to about 4 million tons a year from 17 million tons a decade ago, and where there were once dozens of coal companies in the region there are now only seven. The labor-force participation rate is roughly 44 percent, compared to 70 percent annually. Economic diversification lags, and towns in the region are in dire financial condition. "We're still dealing with the aftermath of layoffs in the coal industry," said a spokesman for the Hazard-based Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program. "You don't recover from the loss of 13,000 coal industry jobs [in eastern Kentucky] since 2011 overnight."