Openings
88K
Dec 2025
Kentucky Labor Market
JOLTS data - latest: Dec 2025
88K
Job Openings
63K
Hires
43K
Quits
24K
Layoffs
Kentucky Labor Market Overview
As of Dec 2025, Kentucky reported 88K job openings and 63K hires, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS survey. Employers filled roughly 72% of available positions during this period.
Voluntary quits reached 43K (2.1% rate). That's more than the 24K layoffs and discharges reported, a ratio that tends to track with employee confidence rather than employer-driven cuts.
Compared to a year ago, job openings in Kentucky declined by 31.3%, a pullback worth watching alongside the trend chart below for whether it is accelerating or leveling off.
Kentucky job openings over time
Monthly job openings in Kentucky from the BLS JOLTS survey, in thousands. The current openings rate is 4.1%.
Hires
63K
Dec 2025
Quits rate
2.1%
Voluntary turnover
Layoffs rate
—
Involuntary turnover
Monthly Trends
Openings Hires
Jan 2019 Dec 2025
How Kentucky Compares
Kentucky's JOLTS metrics ranked against all 51 states and DC, Dec 2025.
Other State Labor Markets
Frequently Asked Questions
How many job openings are there in Kentucky? ▼
Kentucky had 88K job openings as of Dec 2025, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' JOLTS program.
How many people were hired in Kentucky recently? ▼
Kentucky recorded 63K hires in Dec 2025, according to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. This tallies all payroll additions in the period, regardless of whether headcount grew overall.
What is the quits rate in Kentucky? ▼
43K workers voluntarily quit their jobs in Kentucky during Dec 2025. The quits rate was 2.1%. A higher quits rate generally indicates worker confidence, employees leave when they believe better opportunities are available.
How many layoffs happened in Kentucky? ▼
There were 24K layoffs and discharges in Kentucky during Dec 2025. The count covers every employer-initiated separation in the period, both permanent layoffs and for-cause discharges.
What are total separations in Kentucky? ▼
Total separations in Kentucky reached 71K in Dec 2025. This includes all employees who left their jobs, whether through quits, layoffs, discharges, retirements, or transfers to other locations of the same firm.
Understanding Labor Data
Data source
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
PlainLabor is not affiliated with the BLS or any government agency.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, state-level data · 2025-12 JOLTS measures job openings, hires, and total separations (quits + layoffs + other) by state. Data is monthly with about a 1-month publication lag.