Several Northern Kentucky counties and Lexington-area regions have posted among Kentucky's lowest unemployment rates in the latest state labor statistics, according to data released by the NKy Tribune citing Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) reports.

Unemployment rates fell in 119 counties and remained flat in one between February 2025 and February 2026. Boone and Campbell counties tied for eighth-lowest jobless rates at 4 percent, while Fayette County recorded a 3.6 percent unemployment rate, ranking third in the state behind Woodford County at 3.3 percent and Todd County at 3.5 percent.

The strong showing for Northern Kentucky comes as Kentucky's overall unemployment rate reached 4.2 percent in February 2026, down from 4.8 percent a year prior. However, officials cautioned that the decline partly reflects workers leaving the labor force rather than finding new jobs. The U.S. unemployment rate for the same period was 4.4 percent.

County-level statistics are not seasonally adjusted due to small sample sizes, making them subject to sharp fluctuations from weather, harvests, holidays and school calendar changes. The data should only be compared with the same months in previous years, according to KYSTATS.

Boone County's strong labor market performance reflects ongoing economic expansion in the region. France-based ARMOR-IIMAK announced a nearly $6 million expansion that will create 44 Kentucky jobs, building on the county's manufacturing presence.

The state's highest unemployment rates continued in Eastern Kentucky's coal-producing regions, with Wolfe County posting 11.1 percent joblessness, followed by Magoffin County at 9.8 percent and Lewis County at 9.5 percent.