Unemployment rates rose in 114 Kentucky counties, including Crittenden, Henderson, Union and Webster, between February 2015 and February 2016, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training. State officials indicate the jobless rate fell in four counties and remained the same in two counties during the same time period.
In Union County, the unemployment rate for February 2016 was 8 percent, compared to 6.7 percent in February 2015. The February 2016 rate also rose from the January 2016 jobless rate of 5.8 percent.
In Crittenden County, the unemployment rate for February 2016 was 6.9 percent, up from 5.7 percent in February of last year. The 6.9 percent rate is also higher than the jobless rate of 6.7 percent recorded for January of this year.
In Henderson County, the unemployment rate for February 2016 was 6.0 percent, compared to 5.2 percent in February 2015, and up from 5.8 percent recorded in January 2016.
And in Webster County, the jobless rate for February 2016 was 6.7 percent, up from 5.3 percent in February of last year, and up from the unemployment rate of 6.5 percent in January of year.
Woodford County continued to record the lowest February jobless rate in the state at 3.9 percent, while Magoffin County still had the highest unemployment rate of 21.6 percent.
State officials say unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends than actually to count people working, but they do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks.