Jobless figures for Kentucky saw a drop between August and September, according to the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
The Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics said preliminary unemployment for September was 5.2 percent, down from a revised 5.5 percent reported for August, but up two-tenths of a percent from September 2016.
“Kentucky’s unemployment rate for September was somewhat higher than it was last September,” said Chris Bollinger, director of the University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research. “However, the data suggest that there are roughly 50,000 more people working than last September. In this case, the unemployment rate is higher because there are also more people who are looking for work.
“These changes suggest that the state’s labor force participation rate has improved since this time last year,” Bollinger said.
In September 2017, Kentucky’s civilian labor force was 2,061,437, an increase of 1,072 compared to the previous month. The number of people employed was up by 6,725, while the number unemployed decreased by 5,653.
In a separate federal survey of business establishments that excludes jobs in agriculture and people who are self-employed, Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 3,100 jobs in September 2017 compared to August 2017. Kentucky added 30,200 jobs since September 2016, a 1.6 percent employment growth.
By Kentucky Today
