Department of Numbers

Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Louisville fell 0.1 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than the Kentucky rate. The unemployment rate in Louisville peaked in April 2020 at 16.7% and is now 13.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.3% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Louisville 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
Louisville 3.3% -0.1 -0.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Louisville, Kentucky, National

Louisville, Kentucky monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Louisville, Kentucky Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Louisville peaked in April 2020 at 110,339. There are now 88,025 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 22,184 in November 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 130. Louisville employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Louisville, Kentucky) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Louisville 22,314 -362 -306

Number of Unemployed Persons

Louisville, Kentucky Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Kentucky
Unemployment Rate
Louisville
Unemployment Rate
Louisville
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 3.8% 3.3% 22,314
April
2023
3.4% 3.7% 3.4% 22,676
March
2023
3.5% 3.8% 3.4% 22,922
February
2023
3.6% 3.9% 3.5% 23,049
January
2023
3.4% 3.9% 3.3% 22,314
December
2022
3.5% 3.9% 3.3% 22,186
November
2022
3.6% 3.9% 3.3% 22,184
October
2022
3.7% 4.0% 3.3% 22,276
September
2022
3.5% 4.0% 3.3% 22,371
August
2022
3.7% 4.0% 3.4% 22,410
July
2022
3.5% 3.9% 3.3% 22,369

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.