The Kentucky Office of Employment and Training says the Louisville metropolitan area's unemployment rate jumped to 9.4 percent in January, up from 7.6 percent in December and 5.6 percent in January of 2008.Officials say the higher number is due in large part to manufacturing job losses, particularly in the auto industry. Both of Louisville's Ford plants were idle during much of the month.Fayette County recorded the state's lowest jobless rate in January, 6.3 percent. Menifee County had the highest rate, 17.7 percent.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.