Unemployment in Clinton County dropped almost a full percentage point in the month between October and November of this year, and fell by more than three full percentage points in the past 12 months.

The jobless rate in Clinton County during the month of November, 2016, was listed as 5.3 percent, compared to a rate of 6.2 percent the previous month, October, 2016.

In a 12 month period, the local unemployment rate has dropped from a rate of 8.6 percent in November, 2015, to the most recent November, 2016 rate of 5.3 percent.

Clinton County was one of 119 Kentucky counties that had a drop in its jobless rate during the 12 month period. Only Carlisle County did not experience a drop in unemployment rates, with a recorded rate that was the same from November to November.

Clinton County has a civilian labor force of 3,795 citizens, of which 3,595 were employed during November, 2016, with 200 in the unemployment ranks.

According to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, for the first time since December 2007, only one county, Magoffin (12.2 percent), had a double-digit unemployment rate in November 2016.

Other counties, and the unemployment percentage rate, in the Lake Cumberland Area Development Distirct included: Cumberland (4.1), Pulaski (4.3), Russell (6.8) and Wayne (6.1).

Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the Commonwealth at 2.6 percent. It was followed by Oldham County, 2.7 percent; Fayette and Shelby counties, 2.8 percent each; Scott and Warren counties, 3 percent; and Anderson, Boone, Jessamine, Spencer and Washington counties, 3.1 percent each.

Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate at 12.2 percent. It was followed by Leslie County, 9.5 percent; Harlan County, 9 percent; Letcher County, 8.6 percent; Elliott County, 8.3 percent; Floyd County, 8.2 percent; Knott, Lawrence and Pike counties, 8 percent each; and Clay County, 7.8 percent.

In contrast to the monthly national and state data, unemployment statistics for counties are not seasonally adjusted. The comparable, unadjusted unemployment rate for the state was 4 percent for November 2016, and 4.4 percent for the nation.

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 news release are not seasonally adjusted because of the small sample size for each county. The data should only be compared to the same month in previous years.