Data: BLS LAUS Updated: May 2026 • National rate: 4.3%
Across 136 tracked locations in Kentucky, the average unemployment rate stands at 5.2% as of May 2026. This is 0.9 pp above the national average of 4.3%.
Employment has softened this month: 131 locations recorded a month-over-month increase versus 4 that decreased. Arrows indicate change from previous month.
Click or hover a location on the map to see unemployment details. Use the buttons in the table below to zoom to a specific area.
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| Unemployment Rates for Selected Locations in Kentucky | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Current May 2026 |
Prev. Month |
6 Months Ago |
1 Year Ago |
| Adair County, KY | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 5.9% |
| Allen County, KY | 4.5% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Anderson County, KY | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Ashland, KY | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| Ballard County, KY | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.9% |
| Barren County, KY | 5.1% | 4.7% | 4.8% | 6.2% |
| Bath County, KY | 6.8% | 6.0% | 5.5% | 7.4% |
| Bell County, KY | 6.1% | 5.8% | 6.4% | 7.6% |
| Boone County, KY | 4.0% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 4.9% |
| Bourbon County, KY | 4.1% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 5.0% |
| Bowling Green, KY | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4.5% | 5.5% |
| Boyd County, KY | 5.6% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 6.8% |
| Boyle County, KY | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 5.8% |
| Bracken County, KY | 6.4% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| Breathitt County, KY | 6.8% | 6.4% | 5.8% | 8.3% |
| Breckinridge County, KY | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.3% | 6.5% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 5.4% | 4.8% | 4.0% | 5.0% |
| Butler County, KY | 5.8% | 5.2% | 5.0% | 6.2% |
| Caldwell County, KY | 4.3% | 3.9% | 4.1% | 5.0% |
| Calloway County, KY | 4.7% | 4.9% | 5.0% | 6.3% |
| Campbell County, KY | 4.0% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 5.0% |
| Carlisle County, KY | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.8% |
| Carroll County, KY | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Carter County, KY | 8.1% | 7.6% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Casey County, KY | 4.7% | 4.4% | 5.3% | 6.4% |
| Christian County, KY | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 6.4% |
| Clark County, KY | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Clay County, KY | 6.0% | 5.5% | 6.2% | 7.6% |
| Clinton County, KY | 5.8% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 6.2% |
| Covington, KY | 4.2% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Crittenden County, KY | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.9% |
| Cumberland County, KY | 5.3% | 4.9% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Daviess County, KY | 4.0% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| Edmonson County, KY | 6.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 6.6% |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 4.8% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Elliott County, KY | 9.1% | 8.3% | 7.2% | 9.7% |
| Estill County, KY | 6.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 7.0% |
| Fleming County, KY | 5.4% | 5.0% | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| Florence, KY | 4.0% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 4.9% |
| Floyd County, KY | 6.0% | 5.6% | 5.8% | 7.7% |
| Frankfort, KY | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.3% |
| Franklin County, KY | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 5.0% |
| Fulton County, KY | 5.2% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.5% |
| Gallatin County, KY | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| Garrard County, KY | 4.6% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Georgetown, KY | 3.9% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Grant County, KY | 4.9% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.4% |
| Graves County, KY | 3.8% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 5.0% |
| Grayson County, KY | 6.4% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 7.2% |
| Green County, KY | 4.9% | 4.4% | 5.0% | 6.2% |
| Greenup County, KY | 6.5% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 7.3% |
| Hancock County, KY | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 6.2% |
| Hardin County, KY | 5.3% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.8% |
| Harlan County, KY | 6.1% | 5.9% | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Harrison County, KY | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 4.8% |
| Hart County, KY | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 5.8% |
| Henderson, KY | 4.6% | 4.4% | 5.0% | 6.1% |
| Henderson County, KY | 4.7% | 4.3% | 4.7% | 5.9% |
| Henry County, KY | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Hickman County, KY | 4.9% | 4.7% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Hopkins County, KY | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 5.7% |
| Hopkinsville, KY | 5.7% | 5.5% | 5.1% | 6.0% |
| Independence, KY | 3.8% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Jackson County, KY | 7.1% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 8.3% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Jeffersontown, KY | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Jessamine County, KY | 3.7% | 3.6% | 4.0% | 4.8% |
| Johnson County, KY | 6.9% | 6.3% | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| Kenton County, KY | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 5.0% |
| Knott County, KY | 5.8% | 5.6% | 6.3% | 8.1% |
| Knox County, KY | 5.9% | 5.5% | 6.5% | 7.3% |
| Larue County, KY | 4.6% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| Laurel County, KY | 5.8% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 6.7% |
| Lawrence County, KY | 7.1% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 8.5% |
| Lee County, KY | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 6.3% |
| Leslie County, KY | 5.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 6.7% |
| Letcher County, KY | 5.3% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 7.0% |
| Lewis County, KY | 9.5% | 8.8% | 7.5% | 9.7% |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Lincoln County, KY | 5.5% | 5.0% | 5.4% | 6.7% |
| Livingston County, KY | 6.3% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Logan County, KY | 5.0% | 4.7% | 5.0% | 5.7% |
| Louisville, KY | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Lyon County, KY | 6.0% | 5.2% | 4.5% | 6.4% |
| Madison County, KY | 4.9% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 5.5% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 9.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% | 10.3% |
| Marion County, KY | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.0% | 6.0% |
| Marshall County, KY | 5.4% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 6.1% |
| Martin County, KY | 7.9% | 7.4% | 8.5% | 10.9% |
| Mason County, KY | 6.2% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 7.0% |
| McCracken County, KY | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.5% | 5.6% |
| McCreary County, KY | 6.6% | 6.2% | 6.0% | 7.3% |
| McLean County, KY | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.6% | 5.9% |
| Meade County, KY | 5.2% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| Menifee County, KY | 8.8% | 7.3% | 5.5% | 8.6% |
| Mercer County, KY | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| Metcalfe County, KY | 4.7% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 5.9% |
| Monroe County, KY | 5.2% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| Montgomery County, KY | 5.2% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.9% |
| Morgan County, KY | 7.2% | 6.1% | 5.1% | 7.1% |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | 6.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 6.8% |
| Nelson County, KY | 5.3% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 5.0% |
| Nicholas County, KY | 4.3% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Nicholasville, KY | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Ohio County, KY | 6.2% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 6.9% |
| Oldham County, KY | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Owen County, KY | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| Owensboro, KY | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 5.4% |
| Owsley County, KY | 5.7% | 4.9% | 5.3% | 7.2% |
| Paducah, KY | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 5.4% |
| Pendleton County, KY | 4.8% | 4.5% | 4.3% | 6.0% |
| Perry County, KY | 4.8% | 4.4% | 4.8% | 5.9% |
| Pike County, KY | 5.7% | 5.3% | 5.9% | 7.3% |
| Powell County, KY | 5.5% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 5.4% |
| Pulaski County, KY | 5.1% | 4.7% | 5.0% | 6.1% |
| Richmond, KY | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| Robertson County, KY | 6.5% | 6.0% | 5.2% | 7.5% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 5.2% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 6.1% |
| Rowan County, KY | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 7.0% |
| Russell County, KY | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Scott County, KY | 3.8% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Shelby County, KY | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.5% |
| Simpson County, KY | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Spencer County, KY | 4.7% | 4.5% | 3.9% | 4.9% |
| Taylor County, KY | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 6.1% |
| Todd County, KY | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 4.8% |
| Trigg County, KY | 5.2% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 6.0% |
| Trimble County, KY | 4.5% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 5.5% |
| Union County, KY | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Warren County, KY | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Washington County, KY | 4.0% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 4.9% |
| Wayne County, KY | 6.9% | 5.9% | 6.2% | 7.3% |
| Webster County, KY | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 6.1% |
| Whitley County, KY | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.8% | 5.7% |
| Wolfe County, KY | 11.1% | 10.2% | 7.2% | 9.9% |
| Woodford County, KY | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 4.2% |
As of May 2026, the average unemployment rate across 136 tracked locations in Kentucky is 5.2%. Individual locations range from 3.3% to 11.1%. Click any location on the map or table to explore sub-area data.
The three locations with the highest unemployment rates in Kentucky as of May 2026 are: Wolfe County (11.1%), Magoffin County (9.8%), Lewis County (9.5%). These areas are highlighted in red/pink on the heat map.
The lowest unemployment rates in Kentucky are found in: Woodford County (3.3%), Todd County (3.5%), Lexington-Fayette (3.6%). These locations appear in blue on the heat map.
The U.S. national unemployment rate for May 2026 is 4.3%. This is 0.9 pp above the national average of 4.3%.
Local area unemployment data is published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, typically 3–4 weeks after the end of the reference month. This page reflects data released for May 2026. Figures may be subject to revision in subsequent releases.
Unemployment data on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, part of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Data is subject to revision. Figures reflect not seasonally adjusted rates unless otherwise noted. ZipDataMaps.com is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.