Nationals Party Deputy Leader Bridget McKenzie says coal exports will remain critical to regional communities and the economy, and claims that the thermal coal industry employs 54,000 people. But Senator McKenzie's claim doesn't check out. There are two Australian Bureau of Statistics employment data sets against which the claim can be tested. The Labour Account, which publishes industry information drawn from employers, shows that in the financial year 2017-18, there were around 38,100 people employed in coal mining overall. The Labour Force Survey, which is based on data sourced from employees, shows that in the four quarters to February 2019, there was an average of 52,600 people employed in coal mining overall. However, both of those figures include people employed in metallurgical and brown coal mining, in addition to thermal coal mining. BHP's statements, and the questions Senator McKenzie was addressing, related solely to thermal coal. In terms of employment in thermal coal mining, the numbers would be much lower. RMIT ABC Fact Check was unable to find a definitive figure, but there is no data to support the claim that there are 54,000 people employed in thermal coal mining. Experts told Fact Check that trying to isolate the figures for thermal coal mining is problematic as some mines produce both thermal and metallurgical coal.
Verdict: Doesn't Check Out