EDITORS NOTE: February county unemployment rate charts are posted at http://workforce.ky.gov/Feb05charts.pdf. Acrobat Reader is required to view charts. To download Acrobat Reader, please see the end of this news release.

Unemployment rates fell in 79 Kentucky counties between February 2004 and February 2005, rose in 34 counties and stayed the same in seven counties, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training in the Education Cabinet.

In February 2005, eight counties had jobless rates at or above 10 percent, and 12 counties recorded double-digit rates in February 2004.

Woodford County’s 4.1 percent jobless rate was the lowest in the commonwealth. Other low rates were recorded in Oldham County, 4.2 percent; Shelby County, 4.3 percent; Fayette County, 4.5 percent; Jessamine County, 4.7 percent; Anderson and Warren counties, 4.8 percent each; Boone and Franklin counties, 4.9 percent each; Madison, Scott, Spencer and Webster counties, 5.1 percent each.

Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate — 13.1 percent. It was followed by Larue County, 11.7 percent; Wolfe County, 11.6 percent; Elliott County, 11.1 percent; Lewis County, 11 percent; Morgan County, 10.8 percent; Graves County, 10.5 percent; Nicholas County, 10.4 percent; and McCreary and Menifee counties, 9.9 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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