County unemployment decreases in August, remains below 2006 rate

By Jonna Spelbring Priester, General Manager

Henry County's unemployment rate decreased .6 percent from July, and also is .5 percentage points below August 2006 rates.

Statewide, unemployment rate rose in 66 counties from August 2006 to August 2007, decreased in 45 counties and remained steady in 14 according to a press release from the Kentucky office of Employment and Training.

Woodford County again posted the lowest jobless rate in the state with 3.8 percent.

Other counties with low unemployment rates were Fayette County and Warren Counties with 4.1 percent; Henderson County, 4.2 percent; Clark, Franklin, Jessamine and Oldham Counties with 4.3 percent, Shelby with 4.4 percent and Mason and Scott Counties with 4.5 percent each.

Jackson County had the state's highest rate with 12 percent, and was followed by Magoffin County with 10.3 percent; Clay County with 10 percent; Harlan County with 9.8 percent; Wolfe County with 8.9 percent; Muhlenberg and Owsley counties with 8.7 percent; Leslie County with 8.6 percent; McCreary County with 8.5 percent and Bell County with 8.4 percent.

Statewide, the jobless rate remained steady from June to July at 5.7 percent, down .3 percent from July 2006. The U.S. comparable rate is 4.9 percent.

According to KOET, Kentucky's nonfarm employment has increased 14,600 since July 2006. "Three of the 11 major nonfarm job North American Industry Classification System sectors reported employment increases in July, while seven decreased and one was unchanged," the press release said. "A decrease of 1,110 job in July 2007 brought Kentucky's nonfarm employment to a seasonally adjusted total of 1,853,500."

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