FRANKFORT, Ky. — The U.S. Labor Department says more than 50,000 Kentucky residents applied for unemployment benefits last week.
That's a slight increase from the prior week. It reflects ongoing struggles in the labor market even as the economy reopens in trying to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest report Thursday said 53,738 Kentuckians submitted new jobless claims. That was up by more than 6,410 from the prior week.
The report halted what had been a recent downward trend in the number of Kentuckians applying for jobless aid.
Unemployment data released by the state showed Marion County recorded the state's highest jobless rate in April at 28.6%.
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