Officials with the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet announced Thursday job rates in all 120 counties have dropped for the third straight month.
In the Buffalo Trace Region, unemployment stands at 6 percent for October 2014, as compared to 9.6 percent in October 2013.
Bracken County has the lowest jobless rate at 4.9 percent, compared to 7.5 one year ago; Robertson County has a jobless rate of 5.3 percent compared to 9.2 percent one year ago; Mason County's jobless rate is 5.5 percent compared to 9.3 percent one year ago; Fleming County is at 6.1 percent compared to 9.5 percent; and Lewis County has a jobless rate of 7.6 percent compared to 11.7 percent one year ago.
The region is close to the United State comparable rate of 5.5 percent.
Unemployment rates fell in all 120 Kentucky counties between October 2013 and October 2014, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Officials said this is the third consecutive month that Kentucky has seen a year-over-year drop in all counties.
Boone County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the Commonwealth at 4.1 percent, followed by Woodford Countyat 4.2 percent; and Daviess, Fayette, Franklin, Madison, Owen, Simpson, Spencer and Warren counties at 4.4 percent each.
Jackson County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate at 11.7 percent. It was followed by Magoffin County, 10.8 percent; Letcher County, 10.2 percent; Harlan County, 10.1 percent; Leslie County, 9.8 percent; Bell and Knott counties, 8.8 percent each; McCreary County, 8.7 percent; Fulton County, 8.6 percent; and Clay County, 8.4 percent.
Officials noted in the press release 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.
The statistics do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The statistics in the news release are not seasonally adjusted because of the small sample size for each county. The data should only be compared to the same month in previous years.
Learn more about Kentucky labor market information at: http://www.kylmi.ky.gov
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