Education Cabinet
Jobless rates up in 117 counties from December 2004 to December 2005

EDITORS NOTE: December county unemployment rate charts are posted at http://workforce.ky.gov/Dec05charts.pdf. Acrobat Reader is required to view charts. To download Acrobat Reader, please see the end of this news release.

Unemployment rates rose in 117 Kentucky counties between December 2004 and December 2005 and fell in three counties, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training in the Education Cabinet. 

In December 2005, two counties had a jobless rate at or above 10 percent compared to one county that recorded double-digit rates in December 2004.

Woodford County’s 4.1 percent jobless rate was the lowest in the commonwealth. Other low rates were recorded in Scott County, 4.5 percent; Fayette and Oldham counties, 4.6 percent each; Jessamine and Webster counties, 4.7 percent each; Franklin, Madison and Warren counties, 4.8 percent each; and Boone County, 4.9 percent.

Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate - 11.3 percent. It was followed by Cumberland County, 11.1 percent; Wolf and Lewis counties, 9.8 percent each; Elliott County, 9.7 percent; Clay, Menifee and Morgan counties, 9.5 percent each; Leslie, and McCreary and Rockcastle counties, 8.9 percent each.  

Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. Civilian labor force statistics include non-military workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work. They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The statistics in this news release are not seasonally adjusted to allow for comparisons between United States, state and counties figures.

Learn more about the Office of Employment and Training at www.workforce.ky.gov.

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