Kentucky unemployment in March up from previous year but down from previous month

Unemployment in Kentucky in March came in slightly higher than where it was the year prior.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for March was 5.2 percent. That is an increase from March 2024 when the average was reported at 4.8 percent, but it is lower than the February average of 5.3 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average also came in higher in march than the national unemployment rate, which the U.S. Department of Labor reported at 4.2 percent.

The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet says the state’s civilian labor force, which includes people currently employed and people actively searching for work, saw an increase of about 2,800 people from February to March, bringing the civilian labor force to a little more than 2,117,000.

The Education and Labor Cabinet says the Construction, Manufacturing, Leisure and Hospitality, Educational and Health Services, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, Financial Activities, and Information Services sectors saw increases from February to March. Numbers in the Government Sector were unchanged, while decreases were seen in the Mining and Logging, Professional and Business Services, and Other Services sectors.

Visit the Kentucky Center for Statistics website for more about unemployment figures and labor market information.