In the past, the majority of locals were employed in the glass, coal, or chemical industry. Today the glass and chemicals factories still operate, but many people also go to work in neighbouring towns such as
Trbovlje or
Zagorje ob Savi. Coal started being mined in Hrastnik in 1822. Production was limited until 1849, when the town was connected to the
Austrian Southern Railway. Hrastnik is also known for
glass manufacturing. The first school was opened in Hrastnik in 1860. It was originally operated for miners' children at the miners' restaurant but became a public school in 1872. A separate school building was built in 1879. A German-language school was established in 1907 and operated until the end of the First World War.
Mass grave Hrastnik is the site of a
mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Senica Ravine Mass Grave () is located below an orchard by the house at Pot na Kal no. 2. It contains an undetermined number of victims.
Recent On 16 September 2022, heavy wind and rains left a leak in the roof of the music school in Hrastnik, which firefighters had to repair. ==Church==