Understanding the Workforce Requires Being Honest About Work
The latest version of a decades-long narrative that Kentuckians lack the motivation to work now says we have a “workforce...
Jobs & The Economy
Honor Labor Day by Supporting Workers as if They Are Essential
Starting last year, as COVID-19 led people to social distance and quarantine, a new term entered the lexicon: "essential worker." Though everyday working people have always been the key to...
$300 Weekly Jobless Benefit Is Good for Kentucky’s Economy
The expanded $300 a week in federally-funded jobless benefits known as Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) is providing a necessary bridge for families and the economy as we begin to...
This One Weird Trick Will Help Kentucky Employers Find Workers
As the economy is beginning to recover, we’re hearing the return of old, discredited claims that people just aren't willing to work. Pay attention and you'll notice that such complaints...
The Coronavirus Economy in Kentucky: One Year Later
The calendar now marks one year since COVID-19 hit Kentucky. Over that time, the impact on human health has been enormous: over 422,000 Kentuckians have contracted the virus and nearly...
Kentucky Saw Small Uptick in Jobs in January, But Major Jobs Gap Remains
Kentucky’s economy experienced slight improvement in January, new monthly jobs data shows, but the employment situation remains far weaker than it was before the pandemic hit a year ago. Thankfully,...
Recovery Went in Reverse in December as Relief Expired, Pandemic Resurged
New monthly jobs data shows the state lost jobs in December for the first time since the recovery began in the spring of 2020. The end of federal CARES Act...
Kentucky’s Too-Slow Economic Recovery Faces New Threats
New employment data for October shows Kentucky's recovery continues at too slow a pace to get the economy back on its feet any time soon. The expiration of federal aid...
New Employment Data Shows Hardship Across the Commonwealth and for Low-Wage Earners
Amidst a new surge of COVID-19 cases, recent data shows that employment in virtually all Kentucky counties remained severely depressed in September. When looking at the economic recovery by income...
Kentucky Recovery Halted in September, Heightening Need for Much More Federal Aid
New jobs numbers for September show Kentucky's economy failed to make badly-needed progress last month as the effects of federal stimulus legislation passed in March continue to fade. The state's...