Automotive industry accounts for more than 5% of all jobs in Kentucky, says UofL study

State has four assembly plants

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 15, 2015) — The state’s automotive industry—which includes four assembly plants—accounts for more than 5 percent of all jobs in the state, says a study by the University of Louisville Urban Studies Institute. According to the study, the four assembly plants, along with spinoff auto parts factories, account for 136,500 jobs and $6 billion in payroll.

The UofL study looked at the economic impact of auto manufacturing on 13 southeastern states, including Kentucky, where assembly and parts facilities have flourished.

Researchers wrote that “on balance, Kentucky seems to have been the best state at leveraging its assets to create and maintain competitive advantage in the automotive industry over the last couple decades.”

The study was sponsored by Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development and the Kentucky Automotive Industry Association.