Jobless rates down in 59 Kentucky counties in January 2016 over January 2015

Woodford County had lowest rate, Magoffin County highest rate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 11, 2016) — Unemployment rates fell in 59 Kentucky counties between January 2015 and January 2016, increased in 53 counties and remained the same in eight, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate at 3.7 percent. Fayette and Oldham had 4.2 percent, Shelby County, 4.4 percent; Scott and Spencer counties, 4.6 percent; Anderson, Franklin and Jessamine counties, 4.7 percent; and Boone, Madison and Washington counties, 4.8 percent.

Magoffin County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 21 percent, followed by Elliott County, 14 percent; Wolfe County, 13.7 percent; Carter County, 13.6 percent; Harlan County, 13.5 percent; Leslie County, 13.3 percent; Lawrence County, 13 percent; Letcher County, 12.9 percent; Floyd County, 12.8 percent; and Martin and Owsley counties, 12.4 percent.

The comparable, unadjusted state unemployment rate for the state is 6.2 percent for January 2016, and 5.3 percent for the nation.

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 because of the small sample size for each county. The data should only be compared to the same month in previous years.