Jobless rates down in FIVCO, Big Sandy

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

FRANKFORT – Unemployment rates were down in the FIVCO and Big Sandy area development districts in March.

The jobless rate in the FIVCO district dropped from 6.9 percent in February to 6.2 percent in March, while the Big Sandy ADD’s rate decreased from 6.8 percent to 6.6 percent.

Boyd County had the lowest rate in the FIVCO ADD at 5.4 percent, and Lawrence County reported the second lowest rate at 5.7 percent.

Other FIVCO rates were 6.2 percent in Greenup County, 7.6 percent in Carter County and 8.6 percent in Elliott County.

Carter and Elliott counties had the third and fifth highest rates in the state, respectively.

In the Big Sandy ADD, Pike County had the lowest March rate at 5.5 percent, while Magoffin County had the state’s highest rate at 12.2 percent.

Other jobless rates in the Big Sandy district were 6.4 percent in Floyd County, 6.5 percent in Johnson County and 8 percent in Martin County, which was the fourth highest in the state.

The statewide unemployment rate in March was 4.2 percent, up from 4 percent in February.

Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate in Kentucky at 2.8 percent. It was followed by Scott County, 3 percent; Boone, Fayette and Todd counties, 3.1 percent each; Harrison and Jessamine counties, 3.2 percent each; Logan and Simpson counties, 3.3 percent each; and Anderson, Caldwell, Campbell, Cumberland, Green Kenton, Madison and Monroe counties, 3.4 percent each.

Kentucky’s county unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted because of small sample sizes. Employment statistics undergo sharp fluctuations due to seasonal events such as weather changes, harvests, holidays, and school openings and closings. Seasonal adjustments eliminate these influences and make it easier to observe statistical trends. The comparable, unadjusted unemployment rate for the state was 4.2% percent for March, and 3.8 percent for the nation.

Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. Civilian labor force statistics include non-military workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work. They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The data should only be compared to the same month in previous years.