Counties with the highest unemployment in Kentucky

While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of November 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.7%—down slightly from the previous month, and about the same as last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.8% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Kentucky using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

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#50. Barren County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,492 people (777 unemployed)

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#49. Fulton County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,101 people (95 unemployed)

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#48. Livingston County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,737 people (170 unemployed)

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#47. Butler County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,017 people (227 unemployed)

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#46. Trigg County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,939 people (265 unemployed)

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#45. Union County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,014 people (268 unemployed)

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#44. Breckinridge County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,825 people (354 unemployed)

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#43. Lincoln County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,439 people (428 unemployed)

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#42. Robertson County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 828 people (38 unemployed)

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#41. Edmonson County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,760 people (220 unemployed)

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#40. Estill County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,116 people (236 unemployed)

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#39. Pulaski County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,952 people (1,144 unemployed)

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#38. Metcalfe County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,805 people (177 unemployed)

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#37. Mason County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,473 people (304 unemployed)

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#36. Clinton County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,412 people (165 unemployed)

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#35. Bath County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,670 people (222 unemployed)

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#34. Morgan County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,022 people (199 unemployed)

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#33. Rowan County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,403 people (514 unemployed)

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#32. Christian County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,372 people (1,187 unemployed)

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#31. Wayne County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,781 people (339 unemployed)

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#30. Lawrence County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,750 people (291 unemployed)

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#29. Adair County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,072 people (363 unemployed)

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#28. Boyd County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,040 people (863 unemployed)

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#27. Jackson County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,110 people (213 unemployed)

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#26. McCreary County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,820 people (253 unemployed)

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#25. Wolfe County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,260 people (119 unemployed)

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#24. Menifee County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,372 people (127 unemployed)

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#23. Knox County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,238 people (555 unemployed)

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#22. Pike County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,931 people (1,020 unemployed)

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#21. Bell County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,152 people (445 unemployed)

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#20. Floyd County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,883 people (595 unemployed)

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#19. Perry County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,939 people (445 unemployed)

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#18. Ohio County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,889 people (497 unemployed)

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#17. Lee County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,017 people (117 unemployed)

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#16. Muhlenberg County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,808 people (568 unemployed)

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#15. Greenup County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,837 people (750 unemployed)

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#14. Johnson County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,576 people (387 unemployed)

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#13. Letcher County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,683 people (346 unemployed)

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#12. Harlan County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,461 people (399 unemployed)

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#11. Carter County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,507 people (590 unemployed)

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#10. Knott County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,229 people (268 unemployed)

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#9. Clay County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,995 people (313 unemployed)

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#8. Leslie County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,486 people (167 unemployed)

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#7. Russell County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
— 1-month change: Up 2.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,315 people (432 unemployed)

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#6. Breathitt County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,087 people (212 unemployed)

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#5. Owsley County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,034 people (72 unemployed)

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#4. Elliott County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,851 people (131 unemployed)

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#3. Lewis County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2%
— 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,486 people (325 unemployed)

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#2. Martin County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,067 people (174 unemployed)

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#1. Magoffin County

– November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,164 people (267 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.