How many jobs were lost in Kentucky last month?
Refreshed monthly
Kentucky lost 800 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 32nd among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 2,100 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-800
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
32nd
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
September 2026’s loss of 800 jobs was the second consecutive month of negative job growth in Kentucky. Monthly job growth was up from the 1,500 lost jobs in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Kentucky gained jobs in 42 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the 17th-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+21,000) while job growth was weakest in January 2025 (-7,500).
There were 800 fewer jobs in September 2026 in Kentucky than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Kentucky sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were accommodation and food services, retail trade, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. Accommodation and food services added 1,500 jobs, more than the entire economy. Retail trade gained 500 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation added 500. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were transportation, warehousing, and utilities, private educational services, and durable goods. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities lost 1,000 jobs in September 2026, while private educational services lost 900 jobs and durable goods lost 600 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 300 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Kentucky (September 2026)
How has Kentucky's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Kentucky lost an average of 475 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 433, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 4,800 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 4,500 on average every month in 2022.
In 2025, Kentucky lost an average of 475 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among six metro areas primarily in Kentucky during September 2026 ranged from a loss of 1,000 jobs in the Louisville, KY area to a gain of 200 jobs in the Paducah, KY area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Kentucky
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +200 | |
| 2. | +0 | |
| 3. | -100 | |
| 4. | -100 | |
| 5. | -100 | |
| 6. | -100 | |
| 7. | -200 | |
| 8. | -1,000 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
