WQXE NEWS

Unemployment in Kentucky in March came in slightly higher than where it was the year prior.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for March was 5.2 percent. That is an increase from March 2024 when the average was reported at 4.8 percent, but it is lower than the February average of 5.3 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average also came in higher in march 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 an increase of about 2,800 people from February to March, bringing the civilian labor force to a little more than 2,117,000.

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

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

The FBI Louisville Division is inviting all Kentucky high schoolers to their annual Teen academy. 

The 2025 FBI Louisville Teen Academy will be held July 14 through 17 at the FBI Louisville Field Office, located at 12401 Sycamore Station Place in Louisville.

The academy is open to all high school students, including seniors graduating this summer and freshmen entering high school this fall. The academy offers high school students a behind the scenes look at the Bureau, with instruction on topics such as how evidence is collected from crime scenes, how FBI SWAT executes arrests, and programs focused on terrorism, civil rights, crimes against children, and cyber crimes. The FBI emphasizes that the Bureau does not only hire individuals with a criminal justice background, so any student with an interest in the FBI and its mission is encouraged to apply.

All students will be evaluated based on their application and an essay to determine which students will be offered an academy spot. The application and more information is available on the Community Outreach section of the FBI Louisville website. Applications must be submitted by May 23.

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is offering support for residents impacted by flooding across the commonwealth through vouchers available at their stores and opportunity centers.

“If you are near an opportunity center and have the need for vouchers, which you can use for clothing and wares at Goodwill Industries of Kentucky stores (there are 66 stores statewide), we urge you to find your nearest store or opportunity center and obtain those vouchers,” said Goodwill Industries of Kentucky Communications Coordinator Kyle Williams. 

The vouchers are also available at Community Action Kentucky offices.

“They’re valued based on need for items in our stores,” Williams said. “They can be used at any store. We do ask that the full amount be used at one store, and an ID is required to obtain a voucher.”

The vouchers are part of Goodwill’s efforts to support communities in crisis.

“While we are not a disaster relief agency, we obviously see the tremendous need for some things that we can offer, so we step in in ways that we find necessary,” Williams said.

Visit the Elizabethtown Goodwill Opportunity Center at 243 West Dixie Avenue. To find your nearest Community Action Kentucky office, visit www.capky.org.