Kentucky Unemployment Rates Drop Across All 120 Counties

Governor Beshear touts strong workforce and more families able to make ends meet

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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According to a new report, unemployment rates in all 120 Kentucky counties fell from December 2024 to December 2025. Governor Andy Beshear celebrated the improvement, saying it means more of the state's new jobs are being filled and more families can bring home a paycheck.

Why it matters

Declining unemployment rates across an entire state is a strong economic indicator, suggesting Kentucky's workforce and job market are strengthening. This could lead to increased consumer spending, business investment, and overall economic growth for the state.

The details

The report found that unemployment rates fell in every one of Kentucky's 120 counties over the one-year period. In Henderson County, the jobless rate went from 5% to 3.7%. Neighboring Daviess, Union, and Webster counties also saw similar declines of more than one percentage point.

  • The data compares unemployment rates from December 2024 to December 2025.

The players

Andy Beshear

The Governor of Kentucky who celebrated the statewide unemployment declines.

Kentucky Center for Stats

The organization that released the report on unemployment rate changes across Kentucky counties.

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What they’re saying

“It means more of the good jobs we're creating are being filled, it means our workforce is strong and it means more of our families can bring home a paycheck and put food on the table.”

— Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky (wowktv.com)

The takeaway

Kentucky's declining unemployment rates across all 120 counties suggest the state's economy and job market are strengthening, allowing more families to make ends meet and potentially fueling further economic growth through increased consumer spending and business investment.