23 September 2019 - Associate Press
Kentucky officials said the state's unemployment rate rose slightly in August.
The Kentucky Center for Statistics said the state's seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 4.4 percent last month. The preliminary figure is up from the 4.3 percent rate in July. Last month's rate was unchanged from the statewide jobless rate in August 2018.
State officials said Kentucky's trade, transportation and utilities sector gained 1,500 jobs last month. The leisure and hospitality sector grew by 900 positions.
Officials said the professional and business services sector fell by 3,000 jobs.
Officials said the manufacturing sector declined by 1,700 jobs.
The interim director of the University of Kentucky's Center for Business and Economic Research, Mike Clark, said a decrease in durable goods manufacturing is consistent with concerns that trade policy could be hurting manufacturing growth.