Coal Kills Jobs

Funny how the tighter the stranglehold coal has on communities, the fewer jobs there are.


John Cheves at the Herald:

Kentucky's unemployment rate fell slightly in November to 7.7 percent, compared to 8 percent in October, according to data released Thursday by the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training. The national unemployment rate for November was 6.6 percent.

However, the statewide jobless rate was worse than the 7.4 percent seen a year ago in November 2012, the agency said. Over the past year, unemployment rates rose in 96 of Kentucky's counties, fell in 16 and stayed the same in eight.

SNIP

The Eastern Kentucky coal fields, plagued for the last two years by mine closures and layoffs, dominated the lowest-performing counties.

Leslie County had the state's highest unemployment rate at 16.4 percent. It was followed by Magoffin County at 15.8 percent; Harlan County at 15.6 percent; Letcher County at 15 percent; Knott County at 14 percent; Bell and McCreary counties at 13.6 percent each; Jackson and Perry counties at 12.8 percent each; and Clay County at 12.2 percent.