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.
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 February 2024, 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.
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 March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Kentucky.
#50. Union County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,970 people (351 unemployed)
#49. Breckinridge County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,931 people (471 unemployed)
#48. Whitley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,583 people (798 unemployed)
#47. Pulaski County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,063 people (1,490 unemployed)
#46. Edmonson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,852 people (289 unemployed)
#45. Estill County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,143 people (311 unemployed)
#44. Lyon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,107 people (188 unemployed)
#43. Metcalfe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,937 people (239 unemployed)
#42. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,222 people (563 unemployed)
#41. Montgomery County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,542 people (701 unemployed)
#40. Adair County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,459 people (464 unemployed)
#39. Fleming County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,040 people (386 unemployed)
#38. Robertson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 799 people (52 unemployed)
#37. Russell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,469 people (421 unemployed)
#36. Bell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,403 people (556 unemployed)
#35. Clinton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,441 people (232 unemployed)
#34. Livingston County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,644 people (248 unemployed)
#33. Bracken County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,784 people (259 unemployed)
#32. Wayne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,921 people (469 unemployed)
#31. Rowan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,400 people (706 unemployed)
#30. Boyd County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,137 people (1,159 unemployed)
#29. Pike County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,110 people (1,304 unemployed)
#28. Mason County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,525 people (458 unemployed)
#27. Lee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,212 people (158 unemployed)
#26. Ohio County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,069 people (642 unemployed)
#25. Knox County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,783 people (693 unemployed)
#24. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,183 people (302 unemployed)
#23. Morgan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,495 people (326 unemployed)
#22. McCreary County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,735 people (348 unemployed)
#21. Perry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,928 people (578 unemployed)
#20. Muhlenberg County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,994 people (752 unemployed)
#19. Letcher County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,006 people (458 unemployed)
#18. Harlan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,404 people (489 unemployed)
#17. Owsley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,135 people (88 unemployed)
#16. Floyd County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,988 people (854 unemployed)
#15. Wolfe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,143 people (169 unemployed)
#14. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,106 people (401 unemployed)
#13. Lawrence County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,734 people (453 unemployed)
#12. Greenup County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,967 people (1,023 unemployed)
#11. Bath County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,709 people (379 unemployed)
#10. Leslie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,490 people (206 unemployed)
#9. Knott County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,247 people (366 unemployed)
#8. Johnson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,726 people (576 unemployed)
#7. Menifee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,350 people (223 unemployed)
#6. Lewis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 4,542 people (438 unemployed)
#5. Carter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,727 people (964 unemployed)
#4. Elliott County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,944 people (195 unemployed)
#3. Martin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,219 people (224 unemployed)
#2. Breathitt County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,235 people (335 unemployed)
#1. Magoffin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,221 people (384 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
