UPDATE : FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 23, 2009) — Unemployment rates rose in all 120 Kentucky counties between June 2008 and June 2009, 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 8.5 percent. It was followed by Woodford and Ballard counties, 8.6 percent each; Oldham County, 8.9 percent; Calloway and McCracken counties, 9.2 percent each; Webster County, 9.4 percent; Boyd County, 9.5 percent; and Carlisle and Franklin counties, 9.6 percent each.
Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate — 18.8 percent. It was followed by Jackson County, 18 percent; Metcalfe County, 16.5 percent; Powell, Lewis and Bath counties, 16.3 percent each; Menifee County, 15.9 percent; Trigg County, 15.8 percent; Butler County, 15.6 percent; and Carter County, 15.5 percent.
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.
 The Education and Workforce Development Cabinet released preliminary June and revised May employment estimates today. There is a lot of bad news and a little good news to report.
The major low lights of the report: Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate for June 2009 reached a near 26-year high of 10.9 percent from a revised 10.7 percent in May 2009. The economy continued to deteriorate as almost every sector endured job losses.
- June 2009’s jobless rate was the highest since the August 1983 figure of 11.1 percent.
- Manufacturing was the hardest hit. 3,100 jobs were lost in the month of June. Compared to a year ago, manufacturing has lost 39,700 jobs.
- Monthly estimate of unemployed Kentuckians for June, 2009 is 226,122. That’s more than 96,338 Kentuckians out of work than one year ago.
- Number of jobs in trade, transportation and utilities shrank by 1,700 jobs in a month. Over the past year, 15,700 jobs have been lost.
The minor lowlights of the report:
- Professional and business services declined by 900 jobs last month. The sector’s “only” lost 11,500 employees in a year.
- The information sector that includes publishing, Internet services, data processing, news, broadcasting, lost 600 jobs in a month. The sector has lost 1300 jobs in the last year.
- Other Services, which is laundry, repair, maintenance, religious and civic organizations declined by 1,000 jobs. The sector had 1,700 fewer jobs in June 2009 than it did in June 2008.
- Government jobs went down 200 jobs in June, 2009. Overall, there are 1,500 fewer jobs in this sector over the past year.
- Construction recorded 300 fewer positions in June, 2009. Since June 2008, employment has fallen by 16,500 positions.
The high lights of the report:
- The monthly estimate of Kentuckians in the civilian workforce went up over the past year from 2,040,705 in June, 2008 to 2,076,999 in 2009.
- Seasonally adjusted employment in the educational and health services area went up by 1,200 jobs in June, 2009.
- The financial sector added 700 jobs in June, 2009. It had dropped 2,600 jobs over the past year.
- Mining and logging jobs are up. 2,200 jobs have been added in the past year. Total employment in this sector is 25,700.
The numbers are seasonally adjusted and they do not include those Kentuckians who have not looked for employment over the last four weeks. |
