The report, conducted by the Pennsylvania Economy League, updates earlier data and details the coal industry's impact across various sectors of the Pennsylvania economy, including employment, production and transportation.

The study found the coal industry was responsible for almost 36,200 full and part-time jobs in Pennsylvania.

Of those, about 13,900 were direct coal industry jobs, each of which created 1.6 additional jobs not directly linked to the coal industry.

The report noted that mining wages were significantly higher than the average salary for private sector jobs in Pennsylvania, by about $30,000 per year.

In 2011, the most recent year in which data was available, Pennsylvania produced 68 million short tons of coal, making it the nation's fourth-largest producer.

PCA CEO John Pippy used the results to voice his opinion on the new emission standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

“The economic impact of the coal industry in Pennsylvania reaches far beyond the industry itself by generating jobs across all sectors of the economy,” he said.

"It's important for residents and legislators to be made aware these effects, especially in the midst of pressure to eliminate coal from our nation's energy mix."

“We need to look carefully at emission standards that would close hundreds of coal-fired power plants and eliminate thousands of jobs, and determine whether there is a more rational approach.”

Pippy noted that in addition to widespread job losses and economic downturn, the consequences of eliminating coal energy would include higher electricity prices for consumers.