Canva

Counties with the highest unemployment in Kentucky

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, though experts’ views on a potential recession are mixed. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2007-2009—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of April 2023, national unemployment is at 3.4%, with little change from March. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in South Dakota to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Kentucky using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain.

Canva

#50. Metcalfe County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,890 people (175 unemployed)

Canva

#49. Breckinridge County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1 month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,955 people (360 unemployed)

woodsnorthphoto // Shutterstock

#48. Meade County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,606 people (520 unemployed)

Canva

#46. Christian County (tie)

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,076 people (1,118 unemployed)

Canva

#46. Pulaski County (tie)

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,094 people (1,118 unemployed)

Canva

#45. Hickman County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,580 people (72 unemployed)

Canva

#44. Trigg County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,072 people (277 unemployed)

Canva

#43. Adair County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,128 people (327 unemployed)

ScottymanPhoto // Shutterstock

#42. Rowan County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 10,290 people (475 unemployed)

Canva

#41. Ballard County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,478 people (164 unemployed)

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#40. Edmonson County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,804 people (226 unemployed)

Maxine Livingston // Shutterstock

#39. Estill County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,180 people (243 unemployed)

Canva

#38. Mason County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1 month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,558 people (308 unemployed)

Canva

#37. Ohio County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1 month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,017 people (425 unemployed)

Canva

#36. Clinton County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1 month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,523 people (169 unemployed)

Canva

#35. Lincoln County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1 month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,476 people (456 unemployed)

Canva

#34. Lee County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1 month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,133 people (105 unemployed)

Canva

#33. Livingston County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1 month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,648 people (177 unemployed)

Cody Thane Prater // Shutterstock

#32. Pike County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,889 people (925 unemployed)

Canva

#31. Morgan County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1 month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,080 people (206 unemployed)

Canva

#30. Perry County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,051 people (399 unemployed)

Canva

#29. Knox County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,297 people (516 unemployed)

Canva

#28. Bath County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1 month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,708 people (238 unemployed)

Canva

#27. Fulton County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1 month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,120 people (111 unemployed)

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#26. Bracken County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1 month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,840 people (201 unemployed)

Canva

#25. Jackson County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,193 people (216 unemployed)

Gabriel Quiles // Shutterstock

#24. Russell County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 6,202 people (327 unemployed)

Canva

#23. Bell County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,263 people (438 unemployed)

Rosemarie Mosteller // Shutterstock

#22. Boyd County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 17,222 people (925 unemployed)

Canva

#21. Wolfe County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1 month change: Down 1.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,333 people (129 unemployed)

Canva

#20. McCreary County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 4,711 people (257 unemployed)

Canva

#19. Lawrence County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1 month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 5,625 people (312 unemployed)

Jill Lang // Shutterstock

#18. Wayne County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,908 people (382 unemployed)

Canva

#17. Muhlenberg County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1 month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,121 people (561 unemployed)

Canva

#16. Menifee County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
— 1 month change: Down 1.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,391 people (136 unemployed)

Nate Hovee // Shutterstock

#15. Floyd County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,011 people (629 unemployed)

anthony heflin // Shutterstock

#14. Harlan County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,452 people (380 unemployed)

Canva

#13. Owsley County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,073 people (64 unemployed)

Canva

#12. Clay County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,114 people (308 unemployed)

Canva

#11. Letcher County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
— 1 month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 5,803 people (349 unemployed)

Canva

#10. Knott County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
— 1 month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,284 people (267 unemployed)

Canva

#9. Leslie County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1 month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,522 people (158 unemployed)

Marked Imagery // Shutterstock

#8. Greenup County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1 month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,961 people (818 unemployed)

Johnnie Laws // Shutterstock

#7. Johnson County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
— 1 month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,714 people (430 unemployed)

Canva

#6. Martin County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
— 1 month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,196 people (156 unemployed)

Canva

#5. Carter County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
— 1 month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 9,631 people (711 unemployed)

Canva

#4. Breathitt County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
— 1 month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,205 people (243 unemployed)

Canva

#3. Lewis County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 8%
— 1 month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,617 people (368 unemployed)

Canva

#2. Elliott County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.9%
— 1 month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,897 people (169 unemployed)

Cindy1988 // Shutterstock

#1. Magoffin County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.4%
— 1 month change: Down 2.2 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 2.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,193 people (300 unemployed)