Counties with the highest unemployment in Kentucky

While significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, unemployment rates 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 May 2023, national unemployment is at 3.4%, with little change from April. 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in May 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. Breckinridge County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,010 people (356 unemployed)

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#49. Whitley County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,169 people (621 unemployed)

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#48. Edmonson County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,862 people (220 unemployed)

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#47. McLean County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,938 people (183 unemployed)

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#46. Morgan County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,030 people (187 unemployed)

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#45. Rowan County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,231 people (475 unemployed)

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#44. Livingston County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,697 people (173 unemployed)

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#43. Union County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,939 people (282 unemployed)

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#42. Mason County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,544 people (310 unemployed)

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#41. Lincoln County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,556 people (448 unemployed)

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#40. Pulaski County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,140 people (1,171 unemployed)

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#39. Robertson County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 808 people (39 unemployed)

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#38. Clinton County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,559 people (171 unemployed)

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#37. Estill County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,178 people (247 unemployed)

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#36. Webster County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,172 people (249 unemployed)

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#35. Christian County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,231 people (1,221 unemployed)

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#34. Fulton County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,118 people (103 unemployed)

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#33. Bath County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,691 people (228 unemployed)

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#32. Ohio County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,059 people (442 unemployed)

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#31. Adair County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,062 people (351 unemployed)

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#29. Menifee County (tie)

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,368 people (121 unemployed)

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#29. Wolfe County (tie)

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,369 people (121 unemployed)

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#28. Lawrence County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,683 people (296 unemployed)

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#27. Russell County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,198 people (323 unemployed)

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#26. Perry County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,039 people (419 unemployed)

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#25. Wayne County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,924 people (364 unemployed)

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#24. McCreary County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,690 people (255 unemployed)

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#23. Bell County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,274 people (444 unemployed)

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#22. Boyd County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,382 people (947 unemployed)

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#21. Hopkins County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 1.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,014 people (964 unemployed)

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#20. Knox County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,141 people (553 unemployed)

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#19. Pike County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,682 people (1,021 unemployed)

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#18. Jackson County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
— 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,212 people (240 unemployed)

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#17. Floyd County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,962 people (633 unemployed)

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#16. Greenup County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,043 people (787 unemployed)

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#15. Lee County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
— 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,087 people (127 unemployed)

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#14. Muhlenberg County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,093 people (612 unemployed)

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#13. Knott County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,277 people (269 unemployed)

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#12. Letcher County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,829 people (368 unemployed)

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#11. Leslie County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
— 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,518 people (162 unemployed)

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#10. Clay County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
— 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,086 people (325 unemployed)

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#9. Harlan County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
— 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,473 people (415 unemployed)

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#8. Owsley County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
— 1-month change: Up 1.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,051 people (68 unemployed)

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#7. Johnson County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,738 people (438 unemployed)

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#6. Breathitt County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,161 people (214 unemployed)

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#5. Lewis County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,538 people (314 unemployed)

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#4. Carter County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,661 people (672 unemployed)

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#3. Elliott County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,884 people (148 unemployed)

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#2. Martin County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,220 people (175 unemployed)

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#1. Magoffin County

– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,232 people (288 unemployed)