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Unemployment in Kentucky sees slight decline in July

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The unemployment rate in Kentucky continues to trend slightly lower.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for July was 4.9 percent. That is unchanged from the month of June, and down slightly from the July 2024 average of 5.1 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average for July came in higher than the national unemployment rate, which the U.S. Department of Labor reported at 4.2 percent.

The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet says the state’s civilian labor force, which includes people currently employed and people actively searching for work, saw a decrease of 1,385 people from June to July, bringing the civilian labor force to about 2,118,000.

The Education and Labor Cabinet says the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, Other Services, Construction, Professional and Business Services, Financial Activities, and Information Services sectors saw increases from June to July. Numbers in the Mining and Logging sector were unchanged. The Leisure and Hospitality, Educational and Health Services, Government, and Manufacturing sectors saw decreases.

Visit the Kentucky Center for Statistics website for more about unemployment figures and labor market information.

Flaget receives grant for infant care equipment

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Flaget Memorial Hospital will enhance newborn care and safety by way of a recently announced grant award.

The Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation says the hospital has received a $23,000 grant from the WHAS Crusade for Children. The hospital will use the grant funds to purchase a Panda warmer and a hearing screener for the hospital’s birth center.

According to a release from the hospital, the Panda warmer provides a safe and controlled environment to assess and treat newborns immediately after birth, and the hearing screener helps identify infants who may need early interventions. The hospital says: “This essential equipment will enhance the hospital’s ability to monitor, diagnose, and care for both full-term and at-risk infants, ensuring they receive the highest standard of care from the very beginning.”

The hospital says the Flaget Emergency Department treats approximately 500 patients under the age of one annually. In 2024 the Flaget Birth Center welcomed 238 infants, with 36 percent considered pre-term or at-risk. The hospital says the funding helps them deliver on their commitment to giving every child the healthiest start possible.

Learn more about the grant and the foundation on the hospital’s website.

Beshear says Kentucky cannot be left behind on support for pre-K

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During his Team Kentucky Update Wednesday, Governor Andy Beshear provided an update on the state’s Pre-K for All Initiative, with the governor stating that support for preschoolers means support for Kentucky families.

“In Kentucky, Pre-K for All would boost take home pay for families $9,000 a year for six straight years, meaning $54,000 more for the average Kentucky family,” Beshear said. “It saves $7,000 per year in costs and it could grow Kentucky’s workforce by 70,000 people, and of course, it could increase kindergarten readiness in a state where over half of our kids show up not ready for kindergarten.”

Beshear discussed the work of the 28-member Pre-K for All Advisory Committee, which has been tasked with collecting input from businesses, parents, and community leaders. The governor said more than 21,000 emails have been sent to legislators since the launch of the initiative.

“We’ve hosted four town halls in Frankfort, Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, and Moorhead, and next week we have one at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville,” Beshear said. “We’ve also had multiple committee meetings. We just held a meeting in the capitol with childcare providers from across the state. I got to attend that one and it was clear everyone is focused on trying to get the very best for our kids.”

Beshear said other nearby states have already implemented similar programs, so Kentucky has to step up now.

“If we don’t make this happen, we’re going to be left behind,” Beshear said. “That next company looking at where to locate or where to expand is going to hear from a different governor that their employees in their state have access to pre-K and thus make a better living.”

Learn more about the initiative at www.prek4all.KY.gov.

Kentucky Career Center hosting virtual job fairs next week

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The Kentucky Career Center Lincoln Trail has multiple upcoming opportunities for area jobseekers.

Center Manager Robin Gooden says the next Let’s Talk Tuesdays Virtual Job Fair, held in partnership with the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board, will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on August 19.

“It’s a really great platform for those folks who want to get online and talk to employers directly,” Gooden said. “They go online, they register, and then they upload their resume, and then at 1 p.m. it goes live and they can actually talk to employers.”

Area job seekers may also participate in the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs’s Virtual Job Fair, which will be held August 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“That is going to be kind of an overall job fair that anyone can participate in as well, and so job seekers can scan the QR codes that are on our website,” Gooden said. “You can go to the Kentucky Career Center website and go to our Facebook pages or social media sites, and you will see that flyer with the QR code.”

Jobseekers are encouraged to reach out to their nearest Kentucky Career Center ahead of time to prepare for the job fairs.

“A lot of folks don’t realize what their resumes have looked like in the past and  how they’ve changed over time, so it’s important to kind of get a revamp and make sure that your resume is really ready to be uploaded onto those sites,” Gooden said.

Visit www.ltcareercenter.org or visit the Kentucky Career Center Lincoln Trail Facebook page for more information or to register.