State's unemployment at record high

Unemployment in Kentucky has tied an all-time high according to figures released for 2008 from the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. The Cabinet reported today that last year's annual jobless rate was 6.4 percent, tying the record set in 1993. The annual rate for 2007 was 5.5 percent, almost a full point lower than the most recent reporting period.

Nationwide jobless claims rose also in 2008. The U.S. unemployment rate jumped 1.2 points from 2007 to 5.8 percent in 2008, the highest annual rate since 2003 when it hit 6 percent. 

The Associated Press also reported today that the nation's jobless rate in February jumped to 8.1 percent amid the lingering recession. That is the largest percentage of unemployed workers in 26 years.

In December 2008, the most recent month for which figures are available from the Cabinet, unemployment in Crittenden County was at 8.1 percent, the highest since February 2004 when 8.4 percent unemployment was recorded.

Annual unemployment statistics for Kentucky's 120 counties, as well as new figures for January 2009, should be released next week by the state.