Until the 1950s the coal industry maintained a steady level of production and employment, but since that time there has been a continuing decline in the number of miners in employment. Most of the pits which have been closed have still left coal to mine, but with oil and coal available more cheaply from abroad the demise of the industry has been inevitable.
The coal industry experienced a prolonged period of stability until the 1950s, but since then, it has been experiencing a gradual decline in employment numbers. Many abandoned mines continue to hold coal deposits, yet the industry's demise became inevitable due to lower global energy costs.