(WKYT) — The Kentucky seasonally adjusted unemployment rate slightly increased from March 2026 to April 2026, according to a report by the Kentucky Center for Statistics. The report includes preliminary April and revised March labor market data.
Kentucky’s unemployment rate rose from 4.2% to 4.3%. This increase was because fewer people reported being employed in April and more people reported looking for a job, according to Mike Clark, the director of the University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research.
The decrease in employment was larger than the increase in unemployment, Clark said, suggesting many people who are no longer employed as of April left the labor market.
“Kentucky’s labor force has been trending downward since the beginning of the year,” Clark said.
A separate survey reported that Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 2,000 jobs in April compared to March.
“Businesses reported an uptick in employment for April,” Clark said. “Most of the additional jobs were in the trade, transportation and utilities sector.”