Kentucky’s unemployment rate for March shows little change from February or year ago

Little change to Kentucky’s jobless rate in March

FRANKFORT, Ky. — There was little change to Kentucky’s unemployment rate in March.

The state Office of Employment and Training reported Thursday that the March rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 10.7 percent from February. That number was up 0.6 percentage points from March 2009, and is equal to the unemployment rate recorded in the state in January.

Justine Detzel, the state’s chief labor market analyst, says the state’s economy showed some signs of stabilization during March, but any employment gains were inflated by employees who returned to work at a major manufacturer after a temporary layoff, as well as temporary hiring at a federal agency.

Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the jobless rate remained at 9.7 percent.