Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area Employment, JOLTS · Kentucky
How is the job market in Kentucky?
The unemployment rate in Kentucky was 4.7% in the month ended , against 4.2% for the United States.
Kentucky, unemployment, each month
- Unemployment rate4.7%4.0% to 16.7%
- Participation rate57.9%54.7% to 59.1%
- Employment-population ratio55.2%48.3% to 56.7%
Kentucky, people, each month
- Labor force, thousands2,116.51,924.4 to 2,120.1
- Employed, thousands2,017.01,697.8 to 2,027.5
- Unemployed, thousands99.581.1 to 340.7
Kentucky, jobs and pay, each month
- Nonfarm payrolls, thousands2,031.71,663.2 to 2,042.0
- Average hourly earnings$30.63$21.24 to $30.92
- Average weekly hours35.133.6 to 35.9
Kentucky, openings and turnover rates, each month
- Job openings rate4.3%3.4% to 10.1%
- Hires rate3.4%3.0% to 6.7%
- Quits rate2.1%1.7% to 3.9%
- Layoffs and discharges rate1.0%0.8% to 9.0%
- Total separations rate3.4%3.0% to 11.4%
Each row is one measure of Kentucky over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Kentucky, openings and turnover, each month
- Job openings, thousands9268 to 219
- Hires, thousands7061 to 119
- Quits, thousands4331 to 73
- Layoffs and discharges, thousands2016 to 150
- Total separations, thousands6854 to 189
Each row is one measure of Kentucky over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Right now
The unemployment rate in Kentucky was 4.7% in September 2026, ranking 8th highest of 51 among the states and the District of Columbia.
Over a year it is up 0.2 percentage points (ours). The rate for the United States was 4.2% in the same month. The source marks this value preliminary.
The unemployment rate in September 2026 was the highest since February 2025.
Jobs and payOurs: change and rank
Nonfarm payroll employment was 2,031.7 thousand in September 2026, unchanged over a year (ours), 25th highest of 51.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private payrolls was $30.63 in September 2026, up 1.1% over a year (ours), 48th highest of 51.
Job openings and turnoverOurs: change and rank
The job openings rate was 4.3% in December 2025, down 1.4 percentage points over a year (ours), 13th highest of 51.
The hires rate was 3.4% in December 2025, unchanged over a year (ours), 24th highest of 51.
The quits rate was 2.1% in December 2025, up 0.1 percentage points over a year (ours), 26th highest of 51.
Understanding the labor market of Kentucky
Where it stands today
The unemployment rate in Kentucky was 4.7% in September 2026.
What do the figures for Kentucky measure?
This page gathers the labor market figures of Kentucky that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes: how many people are in the labor force, at work and unemployed, how many payroll jobs there are and what they pay, and how many jobs are open and how many people were hired, quit or lost a job.
Read more
The unemployment figures come from Local Area Unemployment Statistics, a model that BLS runs for each state every month. The payroll jobs, hours and earnings come from a monthly survey of employers, and the job openings and labor turnover from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
What 500metrics adds: each figure's rank among the fifty states and the District of Columbia, its change over a year, the last time it was higher and lower, the nation's figure beside a rate where BLS gives one, and the last ten years of every figure as small charts.
The numbers behind the chart
What are the latest figures for Kentucky?19 measures, each in its own newest month
| Measure | Section | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank | United States | Last higher | Last lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment | 4.7% | +0.2 pts | 8 of 51 | 4.2% | |||
| Participation rate | Unemployment | 57.9% | −0.4 pts | 44 of 51 | 61.8% | |||
| Employment-population ratio | Unemployment | 55.2% | −0.5 pts | 45 of 51 | 59.2% | |||
| Labor force | People | 2,116.5 thousand | −0.1% | 26 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Employed | People | 2,017.0 thousand | −0.3% | 27 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Unemployed | People | 99.5 thousand | +5.1% | 25 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Nonfarm payrolls | Jobs and pay | 2,031.7 thousand | 0.0% | 25 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average hourly earnings | Jobs and pay | $30.63 | +1.1% | 48 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average weekly hours | Jobs and pay | 35.1 hours | +0.3% | 8 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Job openings rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.3% | −1.4 pts | 13 of 51 | 4.0% | |||
| Hires rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.4% | 0.0 pts | 24 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Quits rate | Openings and turnover rates | 2.1% | +0.1 pts | 26 of 51 | 2.0% | |||
| Layoffs and discharges rate | Openings and turnover rates | 1.0% | −0.3 pts | 19 of 51 | 1.1% | |||
| Total separations rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.4% | 0.0 pts | 20 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Job openings | Openings and turnover | 92 thousand | −25.8% | 26 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Hires | Openings and turnover | 70 thousand | +1.4% | 26 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Quits | Openings and turnover | 43 thousand | +4.9% | 26 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Layoffs and discharges | Openings and turnover | 20 thousand | −23.1% | 26 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Total separations | Openings and turnover | 68 thousand | −2.9% | 27 of 51 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What is the unemployment rate in each county of Kentucky?120 counties, September 2026, by name
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 4.4% | 4.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Allen County | 4.1% | 4.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Anderson County | 4.2% | 4.2% | 0.0 pts |
| Ballard County | 4.8% | 4.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Barren County | 4.6% | 4.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Bath County | 5.3% | 5.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Bell County | 5.9% | 6.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Boone County | 3.9% | 3.8% | +0.1 pts |
| Bourbon County | 4.1% | 4.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Boyd County | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Boyle County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Bracken County | 4.4% | 4.8% | −0.4 pts |
| Breathitt County | 5.8% | 5.6% | +0.2 pts |
| Breckinridge County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Bullitt County | 4.7% | 4.0% | +0.7 pts |
| Butler County | 4.9% | 4.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Caldwell County | 4.3% | 4.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Calloway County | 4.9% | 4.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Campbell County | 3.8% | 3.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Carlisle County | 4.5% | 4.4% | +0.1 pts |
| Carroll County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Carter County | 6.3% | 6.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Casey County | 4.8% | 5.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Christian County | 5.9% | 5.4% | +0.5 pts |
| Clark County | 4.2% | 4.2% | 0.0 pts |
Show 95 more rows
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 6.0% | 6.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Clinton County | 5.1% | 5.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Crittenden County | 5.1% | 4.5% | +0.6 pts |
| Cumberland County | 3.6% | 3.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Daviess County | 4.0% | 4.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Edmonson County | 5.3% | 5.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Elliott County | 7.1% | 7.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Estill County | 5.7% | 5.5% | +0.2 pts |
| Fayette County | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Fleming County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Floyd County | 5.9% | 5.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Franklin County | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Fulton County | 4.9% | 4.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Gallatin County | 4.2% | 4.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Garrard County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Grant County | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Graves County | 4.1% | 4.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Grayson County | 5.9% | 5.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Green County | 4.9% | 4.8% | +0.1 pts |
| Greenup County | 5.7% | 5.5% | +0.2 pts |
| Hancock County | 4.6% | 4.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Hardin County | 5.1% | 4.8% | +0.3 pts |
| Harlan County | 6.5% | 6.8% | −0.3 pts |
| Harrison County | 4.1% | 4.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Hart County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Henderson County | 4.5% | 4.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Henry County | 4.2% | 4.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Hickman County | 4.8% | 4.3% | +0.5 pts |
| Hopkins County | 4.5% | 4.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Jackson County | 7.0% | 7.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Jefferson County | 4.6% | 4.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Jessamine County | 3.9% | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Johnson County | 5.9% | 6.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Kenton County | 3.9% | 3.8% | +0.1 pts |
| Knott County | 6.3% | 6.1% | +0.2 pts |
| Knox County | 6.0% | 6.4% | −0.4 pts |
| Larue County | 4.6% | 4.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Laurel County | 5.6% | 5.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Lawrence County | 6.6% | 6.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Lee County | 4.7% | 4.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Leslie County | 5.1% | 5.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Letcher County | 5.0% | 5.6% | −0.6 pts |
| Lewis County | 7.3% | 7.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Lincoln County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Livingston County | 4.8% | 4.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Logan County | 4.7% | 4.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Lyon County | 4.7% | 4.4% | +0.3 pts |
| Madison County | 5.0% | 4.6% | +0.4 pts |
| Magoffin County | 7.7% | 8.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Marion County | 4.9% | 5.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Marshall County | 4.8% | 4.7% | +0.1 pts |
| Martin County | 7.7% | 8.4% | −0.7 pts |
| Mason County | 5.3% | 5.7% | −0.4 pts |
| McCracken County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| McCreary County | 6.0% | 5.8% | +0.2 pts |
| McLean County | 4.3% | 4.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Meade County | 4.7% | 4.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Menifee County | 5.6% | 5.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Mercer County | 4.6% | 4.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Metcalfe County | 4.2% | 4.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Monroe County | 4.4% | 4.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Montgomery County | 4.8% | 4.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Morgan County | 5.1% | 5.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Muhlenberg County | 5.3% | 5.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Nelson County | 4.4% | 4.1% | +0.3 pts |
| Nicholas County | 4.3% | 4.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Ohio County | 4.8% | 5.4% | −0.6 pts |
| Oldham County | 4.0% | 3.8% | +0.2 pts |
| Owen County | 4.2% | 4.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Owsley County | 5.2% | 5.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Pendleton County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Perry County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Pike County | 6.2% | 5.9% | +0.3 pts |
| Powell County | 4.5% | 4.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Pulaski County | 4.7% | 4.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Robertson County | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Rockcastle County | 5.1% | 5.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Rowan County | 5.2% | 5.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Russell County | 4.6% | 4.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Scott County | 3.9% | 3.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Shelby County | 4.0% | 3.8% | +0.2 pts |
| Simpson County | 4.8% | 4.5% | +0.3 pts |
| Spencer County | 4.5% | 3.9% | +0.6 pts |
| Taylor County | 4.9% | 5.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Todd County | 3.7% | 3.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Trigg County | 5.0% | 4.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Trimble County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Union County | 4.2% | 4.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Warren County | 4.0% | 4.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Washington County | 4.0% | 3.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Wayne County | 6.2% | 6.0% | +0.2 pts |
| Webster County | 4.3% | 4.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Whitley County | 4.5% | 4.8% | −0.3 pts |
| Wolfe County | 7.4% | 7.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Woodford County | 3.4% | 3.6% | −0.2 pts |
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- The unemployment figures of a state are estimates from a model, not a count. BLS revises the latest months as more data arrive and revises the past years every March.
- The payroll figures are estimates from a survey of employers. BLS revises them twice after the first release and once a year, when it benchmarks them to the count of jobs covered by unemployment insurance. Average hourly earnings and average weekly hours are for all employees on private payrolls and are not seasonally adjusted.
- The state figures of job openings and labor turnover come from a survey whose estimates for a single state have a larger sampling error than the nation's. Each figure shows its own newest month, which can be older than the month of the unemployment rate.
- A rank is among the fifty states and the District of Columbia in the same month, highest value first, and a large state ranks high on a count of people or jobs. The changes, the ranks and the months a figure was last higher and lower are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes.
- The county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so each county's rate is set beside its own rate a year before.
Observed . Checked .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Current Population Survey; State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey), labor market of Kentucky, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How is the job market in Kentucky?", https://500metrics.com/states/kentucky.
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