Western Kentucky unemployment down significantly over past year

Recent state unemployment numbers show a significant reduction in joblessness for western Kentucky over the past year.

Figures from the Kentucky Center for Statistics show that unemployment in the westernmost Purchase district fell from  5.2 percent in December 2024 to 3.6 percent in December 2025.

The Pennyrile district saw similiar reductions from 5.6 percent to 3.8 percent.

The Paducah metropolitan statistical area dropped from 5 percent to 3.8 percent.

In the Purchase district, the most recent unemployment figures ranged from 3 percent in Graves County to 4.1 percent in Ballard County. Other Purchase county figures included McCracken at 3.6 percent; Carlisle, Fulton and Hickman at 3.7 percent; and Calloway and Marshall at 4 percent.

In the Pennyrile district, unemployment for Caldwell and Todd counties were among the lowest in the state at 2.9 percent. Other Pennyrile counties include Crittenden at 3.6 percent; Lyon at 3.7 percent; Trigg at 3.8 percent and Livingston at 4.2 percent.

The full report is linked here .