From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh Kentucky’s unemployment rate held steady from March to April, but remains at a 25-year high.A year ago, Kentucky’s April jobless rate was six-point-one percent. This April, it remains at the March, 2009 level of 9.8%, according to the latest figures released by the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.Chief labor market analyst Justine Detzel says construction has lost almost 14,000 jobs in the last year, but the sector recorded a 400-job increase last month.“Part of that is because of the federal stimulus plan. Some of the money from the federal government is starting to come into Kentucky and a lot of that is construction and public works projects," Detzel said.The mining and logging sector also saw some job increases last month. On the down side, the manufacturing, government, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality sectors all recorded job losses in April.Almost 1.9 million Kentuckians had jobs last month, but more than 204,000 remained out of work.
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.