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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Kentucky

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—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 of this year, national unemployment is at 3.6%—as it was in both March and April, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in Nebraska, to 5.1% in New Mexico and 5.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Kentucky using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in May 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.

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#50. Montgomery County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
— 1 month change: 0.0%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 11,794 (501 unemployed)

Photolitherland // Wikicommons

#49. Pulaski County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 25,752 (1077 unemployed)

Huw Williams (Huwmanbeing) // Wikimedia Commons

#48. Edmonson County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 4,704 (203 unemployed)

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#47. Fulton County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
— 1 month change: 0.0%
— 1 year change: -0.8%
– Total labor force: 2,061 (88 unemployed)

Jim.henderson // Wikimedia Commons

#46. Hopkins County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 17,970 (774 unemployed)

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#45. Lincoln County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
— 1 month change: +0.1%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 9,269 (400 unemployed)

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#44. Breckinridge County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.2%
– Total labor force: 7,960 (348 unemployed)

W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#43. Larue County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
— 1 month change: +0.6%
— 1 year change: 0.0%
– Total labor force: 5,796 (254 unemployed)

W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#42. Rowan County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
— 1 month change: -0.1%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 9,899 (434 unemployed)

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#41. Estill County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.3%
– Total labor force: 5,165 (230 unemployed)

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#40. Metcalfe County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
— 1 month change: +0.1%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 3,902 (176 unemployed)

Rivers Langley SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons

#39. Russell County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 6,103 (272 unemployed)

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#38. Bell County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 8,259 (382 unemployed)

Huw Williams (Huwmanbeing) // Wikimedia Commons

#37. Grayson County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 10,571 (484 unemployed)

MPearsallArt // Wikimedia Commons

#36. Morgan County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 4,304 (200 unemployed)

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#35. Ohio County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 8,936 (411 unemployed)

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#34. Spencer County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
— 1 month change: +1.9%
— 1 year change: +1.1%
– Total labor force: 10,862 (501 unemployed)

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#33. Wayne County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.1%
– Total labor force: 7,019 (322 unemployed)

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#32. Bath County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
— 1 month change: -0.2%
— 1 year change: 0.0%
– Total labor force: 4,653 (218 unemployed)

IvoShandor // Wikimedia Commons

#31. Livingston County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
— 1 month change: -0.1%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 3,565 (169 unemployed)

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Kybluegrass // Wikimedia Commons

#30. McCreary County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
— 1 month change: +0.1%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 4,784 (227 unemployed)

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#29. Christian County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
— 1 month change: +0.1%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 24,935 (1206 unemployed)

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#28. Meade County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
— 1 month change: +1.0%
— 1 year change: 0.0%
– Total labor force: 11,710 (562 unemployed)

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#27. Ballard County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
— 1 month change: 0.0%
— 1 year change: +0.5%
– Total labor force: 3,413 (166 unemployed)

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#26. Boyd County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 17,421 (859 unemployed)

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#25. Wolfe County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.1%
– Total labor force: 2,266 (110 unemployed)

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#24. Lee County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.3%
– Total labor force: 2,024 (101 unemployed)

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#23. Perry County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 8,020 (402 unemployed)

W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Bullitt County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
— 1 month change: +2.2%
— 1 year change: +1.5%
– Total labor force: 44,237 (2238 unemployed)

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#21. Knox County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.8%
– Total labor force: 10,129 (517 unemployed)

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#20. Lawrence County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.8%
– Total labor force: 5,496 (281 unemployed)

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#19. Menifee County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 2,345 (122 unemployed)

Kreeder13 // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Pike County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 18,911 (990 unemployed)

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#17. Clay County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 5,172 (279 unemployed)

Turover // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Greenup County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.5%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 13,081 (718 unemployed)

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#15. Jackson County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.5%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.1%
– Total labor force: 4,122 (227 unemployed)

Megangen1990 // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Muhlenberg County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.7%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 9,674 (547 unemployed)

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#13. Floyd County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 11,014 (657 unemployed)

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Letcher County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 6,131 (369 unemployed)

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Knott County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.1%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 4,275 (259 unemployed)

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Valis55 // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Johnson County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 6,677 (412 unemployed)

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#9. Lewis County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.4%
— 1 month change: 0.0%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 4,696 (301 unemployed)

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#8. Harlan County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.5%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 6,637 (432 unemployed)

CoryClaxon // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Carter County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.7%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.2%
– Total labor force: 9,743 (652 unemployed)

JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Owsley County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.7%
— 1 month change: +0.1%
— 1 year change: +0.7%
– Total labor force: 1,045 (70 unemployed)

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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Leslie County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.9%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 2,534 (175 unemployed)

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#4. Elliott County

– Current unemployment rate: 7.3%
— 1 month change: -0.3%
— 1 year change: 0.0%
– Total labor force: 1,847 (135 unemployed)

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#3. Breathitt County

– Current unemployment rate: 7.8%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: +0.3%
– Total labor force: 3,262 (256 unemployed)

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#2. Martin County

– Current unemployment rate: 7.8%
— 1 month change: +0.6%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 2,315 (180 unemployed)

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#1. Magoffin County

– Current unemployment rate: 10.9%
— 1 month change: +0.2%
— 1 year change: -0.1%
– Total labor force: 3,339 (364 unemployed)

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