Kentucky unemployment rates down in March

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Unemployment rates fell last month in Kentucky. The Kentucky Center for Statistics said in a statement that the state’s preliminary unemployment rate in March was 4%, down 0.2 percentage points from February and down 0.7 percentage points from a year ago. Kentucky’s civilian labor force was over 2 million last month. The number of people employed in March increased by 8,351 while the number of unemployed decreased by 4,371. The statement said employment gains were seen in several major sectors, though losses in construction and manufacturing partially offset the gains. Officials say March estimates indicate that the state has recouped 93% of the 296,000 jobs lost when the coronavirus pandemic began.