Education and Workforce Development Cabinet
Jobless rates up in 119 counties from January 2008 to January 2009

EDITOR’S NOTE: January’s preliminary and December’s revised county unemployment rate charts are posted at http://workforce.ky.gov/Jan09charts.pdf. Acrobat Reader is required to view charts. To download Acrobat Reader, please see the end of this news release.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 19, 2009) — Unemployment rates rose in 119 Kentucky counties between January 2008 and January 2009 and stayed the same in Martin County, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Fayette County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the commonwealth at 6.3 percent. Other counties with comparatively lower unemployment rates were Woodford County, 6.6 percent; Pike County, 7.1 percent; Knott and McCracken counties, 7.6 percent each; Calloway, Jessamine and Letcher counties, 7.7 percent each; Perry County, 7.8 percent; and Boone, Boyd and Campbell counties, 7.9 percent each.

Menifee County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate — 17.7 percent. It was followed by Bath County, 16.5 percent; Jackson and Trigg counties, 15.6 percent each; Powell County, 15.4 percent; Magoffin County, 14.3 percent; Lewis and Cumberland counties, 14.2 percent each; Grayson County, 14.1 percent; and Edmonson, Metcalfe and Morgan counties, 13.9 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 county figures.

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

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