Kentucky’s overall unemployment rate was 4.0 in January 2023 (seasonally adjusted), slightly higher than the national rate of 3.4 and down from 4.6 a year before.
Compared to a year ago, a majority of Kentucky counties (94) have seen unemployment rates improve, with two counties - Magoffin and Breathitt - seeing rates drop by more than 2 percentage points.
Compared to Dec. 2020, all but a small handful of counties (5) have seen their unemployment rates drop with Harlan, Magoffin, Livingtson and Franklin experiencing the biggest improvements.
Kentucky County Unemployment Rates (not seasonally adjusted), Bureau of Labor Statistics
| County | Dec 2022 | 12 month change | 24 month change |
| Adair | 4.1 | 0 | -0.8 |
| Allen | 3.2 | -0.1 | -0.6 |
| Anderson | 2.6 | -0.5 | -1.4 |
| Ballard | 4.1 | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| Barren | 3.7 | -0.4 | -2 |
| Bath | 4.8 | -0.7 | -0.9 |
| Bell | 4.8 | 0 | -0.8 |
| Boone | 2.8 | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| Bourbon | 2.8 | -0.5 | -1 |
| Boyd | 5.2 | -0.2 | -1.3 |
| Boyle | 3.5 | -0.4 | -1.9 |
| Bracken | 4.1 | 0.3 | -0.8 |
| Breathitt | 6.6 | -2.2 | -0.5 |
| Breckinridge | 4.1 | -0.5 | -1 |
| Bullitt | 2.9 | -1.5 | -1.1 |
| Butler | 3.4 | -0.3 | -1.1 |
| Caldwell | 3.2 | -0.3 | -1.3 |
| Calloway | 3.5 | -0.2 | -1.5 |
| Campbell | 2.9 | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| Carlisle | 2.7 | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| Carroll | 2.7 | -0.5 | -1.4 |
| Carter | 7.5 | -0.1 | -0.5 |
| Casey | 3.3 | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| Christian | 4.5 | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| Clark | 3.2 | -0.3 | -1.5 |
| Clay | 5.1 | -0.3 | -1.3 |
| Clinton | 4.1 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
| Crittenden | 3.7 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Cumberland | 2.9 | -0.3 | -0.6 |
| Daviess | 3.6 | 0.2 | -0.9 |
| Edmonson | 4.3 | 0.2 | -0.7 |
| Elliott | 8.8 | -0.4 | 1.1 |
| Estill | 4.1 | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| Fayette | 2.6 | -0.4 | -1.7 |
| Fleming | 4.1 | -0.1 | -0.7 |
| Floyd | 5.7 | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| Franklin | 2.8 | -0.7 | -2.1 |
| Fulton | 3.6 | -0.3 | -1.6 |
| Gallatin | 3.2 | -0.3 | -1.1 |
| Garrard | 3.4 | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| Grant | 3.3 | -0.3 | -1.5 |
| Graves | 3.6 | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| Grayson | 4 | -0.7 | -1.6 |
| Green | 3.1 | 0 | -0.5 |
| Greenup | 6.2 | 0.1 | -0.7 |
| Hancock | 3.6 | 0 | -0.9 |
| Hardin | 3.5 | -0.6 | -1.2 |
| Harlan | 5.6 | -1.3 | -3.1 |
| Harrison | 2.7 | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| Hart | 3.6 | 0 | -1 |
| Henderson | 3.2 | -0.3 | -1.3 |
| Henry | 2.6 | -0.7 | -1.3 |
| Hickman | 3.4 | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| Hopkins | 3.9 | -0.7 | -1.3 |
| Jackson | 4.8 | -0.6 | -1.5 |
| Jefferson | 2.9 | -1.1 | -1.9 |
| Jessamine | 2.7 | -0.5 | -1.5 |
| Johnson | 6 | -0.3 | -1.4 |
| Kenton | 2.9 | -0.4 | -1.6 |
| Knott | 5.7 | -0.4 | -1 |
| Knox | 4.9 | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| LaRue | 3.7 | -0.4 | -1.1 |
| Laurel | 3.7 | 0 | -1 |
| Lawrence | 5.1 | -0.6 | -1.5 |
| Lee | 5.1 | 0 | -0.1 |
| Leslie | 6.5 | -0.3 | -1.5 |
| Letcher | 6 | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| Lewis | 7.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Lincoln | 4.8 | 0.2 | -1.4 |
| Livingston | 4.4 | -0.7 | -2.2 |
| Logan | 3.1 | -0.1 | -0.3 |
| Lyon | 4.1 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Madison | 2.9 | -0.5 | -1.4 |
| Magoffin | 9.3 | -2.3 | -3 |
| Marion | 2.8 | -0.7 | -1.4 |
| Marshall | 3.9 | 0 | -1.3 |
| Martin | 6.9 | -1.4 | -1.4 |
| Mason | 4.6 | -0.1 | -1 |
| McCracken | 3.6 | -0.5 | -1.9 |
| McCreary | 4.5 | 0 | -1.1 |
| McLean | 4 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| Meade | 3.8 | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| Menifee | 5.5 | -0.4 | -2 |
| Mercer | 3.4 | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| Metcalfe | 4.3 | -0.3 | -1.2 |
| Monroe | 3.1 | 0 | -0.6 |
| Montgomery | 4.2 | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| Morgan | 4.7 | -0.2 | -0.9 |
| Muhlenberg | 5.7 | 0 | -1.1 |
| Nelson | 2.9 | -0.9 | -1.3 |
| Nicholas | 3.4 | -0.4 | -1.2 |
| Ohio | 4.7 | -0.1 | -0.7 |
| Oldham | 2.4 | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| Owen | 3.2 | -0.2 | -1.4 |
| Owsley | 6.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Pendleton | 3.1 | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| Perry | 4.7 | -0.5 | -1.7 |
| Pike | 4.8 | -0.6 | -1.7 |
| Powell | 3.9 | -0.3 | -1.2 |
| Pulaski | 4 | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| Robertson | 3.7 | 0 | -1 |
| Rockcastle | 3.9 | -0.3 | -1.2 |
| Rowan | 4.1 | -0.2 | -1 |
| Russell | 5 | 0.4 | -0.6 |
| Scott | 2.6 | -0.3 | -1.2 |
| Shelby | 2.6 | -0.5 | -1 |
| Simpson | 3.1 | -0.2 | -1.1 |
| Spencer | 2.6 | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| Taylor | 2.9 | -0.3 | -0.8 |
| Todd | 3.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Trigg | 4.3 | -0.2 | -0.9 |
| Trimble | 3.1 | -0.5 | -1.7 |
| Union | 3.6 | 0 | -0.2 |
| Warren | 3.1 | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| Washington | 2.8 | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| Wayne | 4.5 | 0 | -0.3 |
| Webster | 3.5 | -0.1 | -1 |
| Whitley | 3.7 | -0.2 | -1.5 |
| Wolfe | 6 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Woodford | 2.4 | -0.2 | -1 |
