FRANKFORT: Three Northeast Kentucky counties were among the ten counties with the highest unemployment rates in the state, according to the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Elliott County was third-highest with a 10.7 percent jobless rate, Carter County was fourth — along with Harlan County — with 10.5 percent out of work, and Lewis County recorded a 9.2 percent rate. Magoffin County, with 15.4 percent, had the highest rate and the rest of the 10 counties — Leslie, Letcher, Breathitt, Owsley and Jackson — also are in eastern and southeastern Kentucky. The 10 counties with the lowest unemployment rates all are in central Kentucky. Woodford County’s 3.5 percent rate was lowest, followed by Shelby, Campbell, Fayette, Monroe, Oldham, Scott, Jessamine, Boone, Kenton and Spencer counties.
Kentucky’s county unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted because of small sample sizes. Employment statistics undergo sharp fluctuations due to seasonal events such as weather changes, harvests, holidays and school openings and closings. Seasonal adjustments eliminate these influences and make it easier to observe statistical trends. The comparable, unadjusted unemployment rate for the state was 5.2 percent for August 2017, and 4.5 percent for the nation. Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. Civilian labor force statistics include non-military workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work. They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The data should only be compared to the same month in previous years.
