The National Petroleum Council has projected a 1980 bituminous coal production of 910 million tons. On that basis, the study estimates the manpower which will be required to produce that volume of coal. On the assumption of a productivity increase of two percent per year from 1974 onwards, the 1980 coal output will require a work force of approximately 200,000, or about 45,000 above the 1973 employment figure. Additional workers needed to replace those who die or retire raise new manpower requirements to about 15,000 per year for the remainder of the decade. Because of the increasing mechanization of coal production, the most critical requirement will be for highly skilled workers. There will also be an urgent need for training programs, both in work safety and in mining skills, for young miners. The study supports its conclusions with numerous statistical tables and interpretations of their data. (Author/PR)