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A1US GDP 2025 $30.86T│A2Real growth +2.3%│A3CPI, 12 mo to Sep 2026 +3.7%│A4Unemployment 2025 4.3%BEA · BLS · Census — updated October 29, 2026
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KY!JOBS=LAUS(21)

Kentucky: jobs and unemployment

Unemployment, employment and the labor force in Kentucky from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

BLS LAUSLatest month: September 2026
Unemployment, September 20264.7%#42 of 51 · #1 = lowest
Annual average, 20254.6%US 4.3%, weighted by labor force
Labor force, 20252.12M+1.0% on a year earlier
Employed, 20252.02M97,280 unemployed
Fig. 1Unemployment rate, monthlySeasonally adjusted, percent of the labor force, since 2000
0%5%10%15%20%200020052010201520202025Unemployment rate
Fig. 2Labor force and employment, 2000–2025Annual averages, people; the gap between the lines is the number unemployed
1.8M1.9M2M2.1M2.2M200020052010201520202025Labor forceEmployed
Labor forceEmployed
YearUnemployment rateLabor forceEmployedUnemployed
20254.6%2,115,5892,018,30997,280
20244.8%2,095,4961,994,539100,957
20234.2%2,057,3081,969,94087,368
20224.0%2,047,0251,964,41982,606
20214.4%2,022,9971,933,11289,885
20206.5%2,010,2621,879,778130,484
20194.1%2,064,0401,979,47884,562
20184.2%2,047,1391,960,96486,175
20174.8%2,046,1101,948,75097,360
20165.1%2,013,2191,911,468101,751
20155.3%1,981,6641,877,601104,063
20146.4%2,011,8381,882,287129,551
20137.9%2,060,9021,897,486163,416
20128.2%2,063,3201,894,198169,122
20119.4%2,062,8691,869,474193,395
201010.3%2,064,5661,851,579212,987
200910.6%2,060,5981,841,489219,109
20086.5%2,036,2791,904,187132,092
20075.4%2,032,6781,923,418109,260
20065.7%2,023,5501,907,888115,662
20055.9%1,987,2351,870,669116,566
20045.5%1,968,6891,860,121108,568
20036.2%1,964,4851,843,490120,995
20025.8%1,942,8481,830,741112,107
20015.2%1,950,6051,849,722100,883
20004.2%1,954,0961,872,89681,200
19994.5%1,943,5261,856,04587,481
19984.5%1,920,1541,833,37386,781
19975.2%1,907,7641,808,27799,487
19965.4%1,871,1511,769,764101,387
19955.4%1,855,0891,755,083100,006
19945.4%1,828,5401,730,25298,288
19936.2%1,799,8171,688,322111,495
19926.9%1,777,6691,655,170122,499
19917.3%1,759,1091,631,009128,100
19906.0%1,751,6691,645,878105,791
19896.3%1,727,8531,618,173109,680
19887.4%1,701,4041,574,960126,444
19878.3%1,691,8681,552,108139,760
19869.2%1,695,6921,539,170156,522
19859.0%1,690,1431,538,363151,780
19849.1%1,697,8231,543,460154,363
198311.2%1,691,8451,501,641190,204
198210.8%1,678,4751,497,508180,967
19818.7%1,664,7481,520,636144,112
19808.0%1,658,8481,526,863131,985
19795.6%1,611,7021,522,10189,601
19785.1%1,576,5911,496,60879,983
19774.8%1,537,8321,463,25474,578
19765.4%1,493,4651,412,19981,266

BLS LAUS: monthly rates are seasonally adjusted; annual averages are not seasonally adjusted.