Official county-level figures for March 2026 were published by the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) on May 14, 2026.
Across the board in south-central Kentucky, unadjusted unemployment rates saw a noticeable drop from February to March. This downward shift is typical for early spring as seasonal hiring, outdoor construction, and regional tourism activities begin ramping back up.
A direct comparison of the official percentages for these five neighboring counties shows the following trend:
February vs. March 2026 Unemployment Rates
| County | February 2026 | March 2026 | Net Change |
| Wayne | 6.5% | 6.5% | 0.0% (Unchanged) |
| McCreary | 7.3% | 6.1% | -1.2% |
| Clinton | 6.2% | 5.5% | -0.7% |
| Pulaski | 5.1% | 4.8% | -0.3% |
| Russell | 4.4% | 4.3% | -0.1% |
Key Takeaways McCreary County experienced the most significant single-month drop in the region, shedding 1.2 percentage points off its jobless rate.
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Wayne County held completely flat at 6.5%. Because of the positive movement in other parts of the state, this stationary rate actually landed Wayne County on the state’s list of the top 10 highest county unemployment rates for the month of March.
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Russell County maintained the strongest overall employment footprint of the group, edging down slightly to remain low at 4.3%.