KY Unemployment Rate Surged to 15.4% in April

Kentucky's unemployment rate surged to 15.4% in April.

It's a double-digit increase from the prior month as the coronavirus outbreak shuttered much of the economy.

The state said Thursday that the April rate jumped 10.2 percentage points above the prior month.

It's the latest report demonstrating the devastation caused by the health crisis.

Meanwhile, the number of laid-off Kentucky workers seeking assistance continues to decline as the economy attempts to restart.

The U.S. Labor Department said Thursday that about 47,000 Kentuckians applied for jobless benefits last week.

That's down more than 22,000 from the prior week.