FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 20, 2019) — Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted preliminary May 2019 unemployment rate was 4 percent, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency within the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. The unemployment rate for May 2019 was unchanged from April 2019.
The preliminary May 2019 jobless rate was down 0.4 percentage points from the 4.4 percent recorded for the state in May 2018.
The U.S. seasonally adjusted jobless rate for May 2019 was 3.6 percent, unchanged from its April 2019 level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, are based on estimates from the Current Population Survey of households. The survey is designed to measure trends in the number of people working. It includes jobs in agriculture and individuals who are self-employed.
Kentucky civilian labor force increased by 1,654 individuals in May 2019, bringing the state’s labor force to 2,066,916. The number of people employed in May was up by 1,474, while the number unemployed increased by 180.
In a separate federal survey of business establishments that excludes jobs in agriculture and people who are self-employed, Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 100 jobs in May 2019 compared to April 2019. Kentucky has added 18,900 jobs since May 2018, for a growth rate of 1 percent.
“Kentucky’s unemployment rate remained low in May, as most new workers entering the labor force appear to be finding jobs,” said University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) Associate Director Mike Clark, Ph.D. “However, nonfarm employment growth slowed in May, largely due to reduced employment in the professional and business services sector and the financial activities sector.”