Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Lexington fell 0.0 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than the Kentucky rate. The unemployment rate in Lexington peaked in April 2020 at 15.3% and is now 12.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.0% in February 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Lexington unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | May 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.7% | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| Kentucky | 3.8% | +0.1 | 0.0 |
| Lexington | 3.0% | 0.0 | -0.1 |
Unemployment Rate: Lexington, Kentucky, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Lexington, Kentucky Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Lexington peaked in April 2020 at 41,709. There are now 33,297 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 8,220 in April 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 192. Lexington employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Lexington, Kentucky) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | May 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 8,412 | +192 | -122 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Lexington, Kentucky Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Kentucky Unemployment Rate |
Lexington Unemployment Rate |
Lexington Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2023 |
3.6% | — | — | — |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 3.8% | 3.0% | 8,412 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 3.7% | 3.0% | 8,220 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 3.8% | 3.0% | 8,305 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 8,540 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 8,524 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 8,690 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 8,711 |
| October 2022 |
3.7% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 8,763 |
| September 2022 |
3.5% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 8,823 |
| August 2022 |
3.7% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 8,845 |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 8,798 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
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