By Associated Press
Frankfort, KY – Kentucky's jobless rate has fallen slightly to 9.5 percent. The Office of Employment and Training released the latest unemployment figures on Friday.
Chief Labor Market Analyst Justine Detzel said the slight decline from June's 9.6 percent rate suggest that Kentucky's economy is improving. But Detzel acknowledged that part of the reason for the decline in the official rate is that some workers have become discouraged in their searches for jobs and dropped out of the labor force.
Five of Kentucky's job sectors reported employment increases in July. The professional and business services sector led the way, adding 4,800 jobs. Five other sectors reported decreases, including construction, which lost 1,300 jobs.
Kentucky's unemployment rate remained higher than the U.S. rate, which was at 9.1 percent in July.