By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
According to the Kentucky Center for Statistics, an agency within the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Barren County is among the 119 Kentucky counties where the unemployment rate rose between July 2023 and July 2024.
Based on the center’s preliminary, unadjusted numbers Barren County had an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in July 2024, 0.4 percentage points higher than the previous July that reported 5 percent. The 5.4 percent is a tenth of a percentage point higher than the statewide average of 5.3 percent and it is nearly a full point higher than the United States’ unemployment average that, according to the center, came to 4.5 percent.
Barren County was roughly in-line with the unemployment in the surrounding counties. For example, Allen County’s unemployment was 5.1 percent and Warren County reported unemployment at 5 percent.
The whole Barren River region had a July 2024 unemployment of 5.2 percent.
These county-specific numbers are not seasonally adjusted due to the small sample size, meaning the “sharp fluctuation” the statistics can undergo due to seasonal events or school openings and closings have not been accounted for.
“Seasonal adjustments eliminate these influences and make it easier to observe statistical trends,” the release states.
The center released the state’s seasonally adjusted July 2024 numbers on Aug. 15 that showed “the preliminary July 2024 jobless rate was up 0.1 percentage points from June 2024 and up 0.5 percentage points from one year ago.”
According to the Aug. 22 press release, the center stated that “Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working.” It further states the statistics include non-military workers and those actively seeking work, but does not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for work “within the past four weeks.”
Last month, in June 2024, the center stated Barren County’s unemployment was at 5.3 percent.
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