Now that the trapped Chilean miners have all been safely rescued, Social Explorer takes a look at the mining industry here in the US.

With detailed maps and reports, Social Explorer can help trace mining over time. According to the 2000 Census, there were 496,370 miners in the US, representing just 0.4% of the over 16 employed civilian population. By comparison, the largest industries were manufacturing (14.1%), retail trade (11.7%) and health case and social assistance (11.2%).

Small in numbers nationwide, miners are heavily concentrated in certain regions of the US. In these areas, the swings in the mining population have been large. These maps show the distribution of miners in the US in 1970 and 1990—the most recent year that mining can be mapped as a separate industry (separate from agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting).

1970 United States Mining Industry

1990 United States Mining Industry

The mining industry has grown in central Nevada, while it has receded and all but disappeared in other areas of the country, such as parts of northern Michigan and Minnesota. Reports provide more detail about these shifts.  For instance, a Social Explorer report confirms that between 1990 and 2000, the mining industry in West Virginia dropped from 5.4% to 2.8% of employed residents.

Mine the data for yourself by clicking on either of the maps, or visiting the reports section of the site.

And for more on Chileans in the US, check out Social Explorer’s recent blog post in honor of Chilean Independence Day.