STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Unemployment rates fell in 66 counties between April 2025 and April 2026, rose in 41 counties and stayed the same in 13 counties, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics, an agency within the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet.
Barren County was one of the 66, with a decline in unemployment from 4.3 to 4.2 percent year-over-year. The county’s unemployment rate declined from 4.9 percent in March 2026 to 4.2 percent in April 2026. There were 760 unemployed people in April 2026, according to the Center for Statistics.
Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the commonwealth at 3.1 percent. It was followed by Fayette, Scott and Todd counties, 3.3 percent each; Jessamine County, 3.4 percent; and Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Cumberland, Franklin, Graves, Kenton and Oldham counties, 3.5 percent each.
Martin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate at 7.8 percent.
Kentucky’s county unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted because of small sample sizes. Employment statistics undergo sharp fluctuations due to seasonal events such as weather changes, harvests, holidays, and school openings and closings. Seasonal adjustments eliminate these influences and make it easier to observe statistical trends.
Key Facts
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 data should only be compared to the same month in previous years.
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