Kentucky's unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point in 14 years, the state announced Thursday.
In September, 5 percent of Kentuckians were unemployed and actively seeking work, according to the state Office of Employment and Training. That was down from a seasonably adjusted unemployment rate of 5.2 percent in August.
Still, Kentucky's civilian labor force declined by 11,369 from August. Manoj Shanker of the Office of Employment and Training attributed the decline to the size of the state's retirement-age population, which is larger the national average.
The U.S. seasonably adjusted unemployment rate is 5.1 percent, unchanged from the previous month, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
From August to September, the state saw growth in sectors including manufacturing (1,600 jobs), trade, transportation and utilities (also 1,600), and leisure and hospitality (500 jobs), according to the OET.
“Domestic demand has helped the manufacturing sector,” Shanker said in a news release. “Locally, the new Lexus line is gearing up for production this week, and that has driven up employment and wages for the last several months.”
Gov. Steve Beshear is set to unveil the first Lexus manufactured in Kentucky — and in the U.S. — at the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Georgetown on Monday. Toyota, which owns Lexus, invested more than $300 million to add a dedicated line to build the ES 350, a sport-utility vehicle.
The state saw monthly declines in sectors including construction (200 jobs) and educational and health services (1,500 jobs).