Kentucky’s overall unemployment rate was 3.8 in May 2023 (seasonally adjusted), slightly higher than the national rate of 3.7 and unchanged from a year before. Kentucky’s rate was up 0.1 percentage points from April 2023, while the U.S. rate was up 0.3 percentage points from the month before.
Compared to a year ago, a majority of Kentucky counties (96) have seen unemployment rates increase, while rates fell in 22 and stayed the same in two counties. Rates in Hopkins, Clay, Martin, Elliott, Carter and Webster counties increased the most year-over-year while rates in Magoffin, Spencer and Bullitt counties decreased the most.
Kentucky County Unemployment Rates, not seasonally adjusted
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
| County | May 2023 Rate | April 2023 Rate | May 2022 Rate |
| Adair | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Allen | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Anderson | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Ballard | 4.4 | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| Barren | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| Bath | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Bell | 5.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Boone | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Bourbon | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.3 |
| Boyd | 5.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Boyle | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| Bracken | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
| Breathitt | 6.8 | 5.9 | 6.6 |
| Breckinridge | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
| Bullitt | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.4 |
| Butler | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
| Caldwell | 3.7 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Calloway | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Campbell | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Carlisle | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| Carroll | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
| Carter | 7.0 | 6.4 | 5.8 |
| Casey | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Christian | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| Clark | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Clay | 6.4 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| Clinton | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Crittenden | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
| Cumberland | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Daviess | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
| Edmonson | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
| Elliott | 7.9 | 6.8 | 6.7 |
| Estill | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
| Fayette | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Fleming | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.0 |
| Floyd | 5.8 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
| Franklin | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| Fulton | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
| Gallatin | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Garrard | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| Grant | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Graves | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
| Grayson | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Green | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| Greenup | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.1 |
| Hancock | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
| Hardin | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
| Harlan | 6.4 | 5.2 | 5.8 |
| Harrison | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Hart | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| Henderson | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Henry | 3.3 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
| Hickman | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
| Hopkins | 5.4 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| Jackson | 5.7 | 4.4 | 5.4 |
| Jefferson | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.2 |
| Jessamine | 3.3 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Johnson | 6.5 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| Kenton | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
| Knott | 6.3 | 5.4 | 5.6 |
| Knox | 5.5 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
| LaRue | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.6 |
| Laurel | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
| Lawrence | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Lee | 6.1 | 4.8 | 5.1 |
| Leslie | 6.4 | 5.1 | 6.1 |
| Letcher | 6.3 | 5.3 | 5.5 |
| Lewis | 6.9 | 7.3 | 6.0 |
| Lincoln | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Livingston | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Logan | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| Lyon | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
| Madison | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Magoffin | 8.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
| Marion | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| Marshall | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| Martin | 7.9 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| Mason | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| McCracken | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 |
| McCreary | 5.4 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| McLean | 4.6 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| Meade | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 |
| Menifee | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
| Mercer | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| Metcalfe | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Monroe | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| Montgomery | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Morgan | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| Muhlenberg | 6.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Nelson | 3.2 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| Nicholas | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
| Ohio | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Oldham | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.2 |
| Owen | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
| Owsley | 6.5 | 5.0 | 6.7 |
| Pendleton | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
| Perry | 5.2 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| Pike | 5.5 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| Powell | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
| Pulaski | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Robertson | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Rockcastle | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
| Rowan | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Russell | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Scott | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| Shelby | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| Simpson | 3.7 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Spencer | 3.0 | 2.6 | 4.8 |
| Taylor | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 |
| Todd | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Trigg | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| Trimble | 3.7 | 3.2 | 4.4 |
| Union | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Warren | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| Washington | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Wayne | 5.3 | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Webster | 4.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| Whitley | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
| Wolfe | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Woodford | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
