{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Local unemployment rates rose significantly in April &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"WsONI8XJOe\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/local-unemployment-rates-rose-significantly-in-april\/\">Local unemployment rates rose significantly in April<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/local-unemployment-rates-rose-significantly-in-april\/embed\/#?secret=WsONI8XJOe\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Local unemployment rates rose significantly in April&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"WsONI8XJOe\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/unemployment_rate-logo.jpg","thumbnail_width":163,"thumbnail_height":106,"description":"There are perhaps three positive things that can be said about Whitley County\u2019s April unemployment rate, which was released Thursday. The first is that Whitley County\u2019s April unemployment rate is better than the state average, which isn\u2019t usually the case. The second is that Whitley County\u2019s unemployment rate is better than that of any of its surrounding counties. The third is that Whitley County\u2019s unemployment rate will probably improve when May\u2019s numbers are released probably sometime in late June. Not surprisingly, due to COVID-19 shutdowns, unemployment rates rose in all 120 Kentucky counties between April 2019 and April 2020, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Between February 2020 and March 2020, local unemployment rates only increased between 1.7 \u2013 2.0 percent due largely to COVID-19, but local rates all increased significantly between March 2020 and April 2020 Whitley County\u2019s unemployment rate increased from 6.2 percent in March 2020 to 15.3 percent in April 2020. Whitley County\u2019s April 2020 unemployment rate was 10.8 percent higher than the April 2019 unemployment rate. Whitley County Judge-Executive\u2019s Pat White Jr. said that the April unemployment rate was a \u201cvery dramatic spike\u201d in unemployment. \u201cWe are certainly concerned about that. We are concerned about phasing things back in where people can get back to work. We have had some large employers that have put their employees on leave through this COVID mainly out of safety and not necessarily demand. We hope that comes back quickly, and the economy rebounds. We are seeing some signs of that as we are seeing things open up a little bit,\u201d he said. White said that he doesn\u2019t know if the May unemployment rate will be significantly better because this was only the beginning of phasing businesses back open. \u201cWe hope to see June\u2019s numbers significantly better and hope to see continued improvement throughout the summer and fall,\u201d White added. Laurel County\u2019s unemployment rate increased from 6.0 percent in March 2020 to 17.6 percent in April 2020. Laurel County\u2019s April 2020 unemployment rate was 13.2 percent higher than the April 2019 unemployment rate. Knox County\u2019s unemployment increased from 6.6 percent in March 2020 to 17.9 percent in April 2020. Knox County\u2019s April 2020 unemployment rate was 12.4 percent higher than the April 2019 unemployment rate. Bell County\u2019s unemployment rate increased from 8.2 percent in March 2020 to 16.5 percent in April 2020. Bell County\u2019s April 2020 unemployment rate was 11.5 percent higher than the April 2019 unemployment rate. McCreary County\u2019s unemployment increased from 7.9 in March 2020 to 15.8 percent in April 2020. McCreary County\u2019s April 2020 unemployment rate was 10.5 percent higher than the April 2019 unemployment rate. Clinton County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the Commonwealth at 8.4 percent.\u00a0It was followed by Carlisle County, 8.7 percent; Cumberland County, 10.1 percent; Hickman County, 10.7 percent; Lyon County, 10.8 percent; Fulton County, 11.7 percent; Crittenden County, 11.8 percent; McLean and Pendleton counties, 11.9 percent each; and Todd County, 12 percent. Marion County recorded the state\u2019s highest unemployment rate at 28.6 percent. It was followed by Magoffin County, 27.8 percent; Scott County, 21.5 percent; Mercer County, 21.3 percent; Metcalfe County, 21.1 percent; Edmonson and Lincoln counties, 20.7 percent each; Russell County, 20.6 percent; and Harlan and Lewis counties, 20.3 percent each. Kentucky\u2019s county unemployment rates and employment levels listed here are not seasonally adjusted because of small sample sizes. The comparable, unadjusted unemployment rate for the state was 16.1 percent for April 2020, and 14.4 percent for the nation. Kentucky\u2019s April 2020 unemployment rate was 10.8 percent higher than the March 2020 rate, and 12.2 percent higher than the April 2019 unemployment rate. 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. Whitley County has a civilian labor force of 14,156 people with 11,989 employed and 2,167 unemployed. Statewide, Kentucky has a civilian labor force of 2,056,469 people with 1,725,446 employed and 331,023 unemployed. Learn more about Kentucky labor market information at https:\/\/kystats.ky.gov\/KYLMI."}