Clinton County joined the Lake Cumberland area as well as the entire state in experiencing some higher than usual unemployment rates during the second month of 2014.

The local jobless rate rose by some 2.4 percent from January to February, standing at a full 13 percent for the month, compared to 10.6 percent in the initial month of the year. Clinton has experienced double-digit rates for most of the past year but was not alone in seeing their rates increase early in the year.

The 13 percent jobless rate through February of this year was also a full two percent higher than the same month a year ago when the February 2013 rate was an even 11 percent.

The jobless rate in the 10-county Lake Cumberland Area Development District in February was 11 percent, up 1.2 percent from the 11.8 percent recorded in January and up .4 percent from the 2013 February rate across the region when it was 10.6 percent.

In February, Taylor County had the lowest jobless rate at 8.7 percent while McCreary County again recorded the highest rate at 15.3 percent. In fact, Taylor County was the only county in the Lake Cumberland area with unemployment under nine percent for the month. Half of the counties, (five) had double-digit unemployment in February, with all 10 counties experiencing jobless rate increases for the month.

Other area unemployment rates for the month were: Adair, 9.9 percent; Casey, 9.7 percent; Cumberland, 12.4 percent; Green, 9.2 percent; Pulaski, 10.5 percent; Russell, 11.5 percent; and Wayne, 14.6 percent.

Kentucky’s overall unemployment also rose well above the national average during the month, standing at an even nine percent, up point seven tenths percentage points from the 8.3 recorded in January, but just slightly below the January 2013 rate of 9.1 percent.

Overall in the state, unemployment rates fell in 55 Kentucky counties, rose in 56 counties and remained unchanged in nine counties, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Boone County recorded Kentucky’s lowest unemployment at 6.7 percent while Jackson County had the highest jobless rate at 20.4 percent in February.

Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. Civilian labor force statistics include non-military workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work. They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The statistics in this case are not seasonally adjusted because of the small sample size for each county. The data should only be compared to the same month the previous year.

Learn more about Kentucky labor market information at www.kylmi.ky.gov.