FRANKFORT, Ky.— Kentucky’s unemployment stood at 11.1 percent for August – 1.4 percentage points higher than the 9.7 percent jobless rate nationally, according to a new report issued by the state’s Office of Employment and Training.
That seasonally adjusted preliminary rate was the same as the July 2009 rate after it was revised slightly upward. The rate for August hasn’t been as high since August 1983’s 11.1 percent unemployment rate and the rate for last month was 4.4 percent higher than the 6.7 percent rate recorded in August 2008, according to the office which is an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
“The Kentucky economy showed some signs of stabilization in August 2009, with average weekly hours of production workers rising and the temporary help industry experiencing an uptick in employment. However, the number of individuals facing long-term unemployment continued to surge, suggesting the economic pain from the recession is far from over,” said Dr. Justine Detzel, OET chief labor market analyst.
The U.S. seasonally adjusted jobless rate rose from 9.4 percent in July 2009 to 9.7 percent in August 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working.
“This represents the 13th consecutive monthly employment decline and the 19th month of job losses since the recession commenced in December 2007,” Detzel said. “Since the start of the recession, employment in Kentucky has decreased by 99,700 positions.”
