April 2026

Released May 22, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In April, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 15, rose in 9, and remained unchanged in 27.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in April.

• In April, payroll jobs rose in 42 states and fell in 9. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in New Mexico. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.4 percent in North Dakota.

Kentucky

Employment snapshot

• In April, Kentucky added 2,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent. In the prior month, Kentucky added 1,200 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Kentucky lost 4,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points from 4.7 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 115,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Kentucky is tied for 35th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In April, Kentucky’s private sector added 1,600 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it lost 3,000 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Kentucky added 800 net private payroll jobs.

• In April, employment in Kentucky fell by 7,569, and over the past 12 months it fell by 6,146.

• Kentucky’s labor force participation rate fell to 57.6 percent in April from 57.7 percent and ranks 47th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.7 percentage points.

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Kentucky

Payroll employment

• Kentucky added 2,000 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Kentucky added 1,200 jobs. Kentucky nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 115,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Kentucky is tied for 35th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Kentucky added 1,600 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Kentucky added 800 jobs. Kentucky private sector payroll employment has increased in 5 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 123,000 jobs in April, or 0.1 percent. Kentucky is tied for 39th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From March 2026 to April 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1,100) and Other Services (+900).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-1,400) and Manufacturing (-1,100).

From April 2025 to April 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+3,300) and State and Local Government (+2,300).
• The worst performing sectors were Manufacturing (-5,300) and Federal Government (-3,500).

Kentucky

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Kentucky fell to 57.6 percent in April from 57.7 percent in the prior month.

• Kentucky ranks 47th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Kentucky was 59.1 percent occurring in September 2019, and the 10-year low was 54.7 percent in June 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 61.8 percent in April.