Kentucky’s annual unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level since 2000. The Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics report the annual unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 percent in 2017 from 5.1 percent in 2016. Officials indicate this is the lowest annual jobless rate for the state since 2000 when the rate was 4.2 percent.
The U.S annual unemployment rate dropped to 4.4 percent in 2017 from 4.9 percent in 2016.
According to a release, the number of unemployed Kentuckians for 2017 was 100,302, down 2,819 from the 103,121 unemployed in 2016. There were 9,560 fewer individuals unemployed in 2017 than 10 years ago.
State officials say annual employment rates declined in 46 states from 2016 to 2017, which rates increased in Delaware, South Dakota and Alaska, but was unchanged in Ohio.
Kentucky’s unemployment rate for 2017 was higher than 39 states, but lower than eight states. The state’s rate was tied with Arizona and Pennsylvania. Nationally, Hawaii had the lowest jobless rate in 2017 at .24 percent, while Alaska had the highest rate at 7.2 percent.
Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count the number of people working. They do not include Kentuckians who have not looked for work within the past four weeks.
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