Kentucky reported 105,000 job openings in June 2025, down from 117,000 in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job openings rate for the state was 4.8 percent in June compared to 5.4 percent the previous month. Nationally, the job openings rate stood at 4.4 percent in June and 4.6 percent in May.
Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee stated that “the job openings rate in Kentucky was 4.8 percent in June and 5.4 percent in the previous month.” She also noted that “the job openings rate nationally was 4.4 percent in June and 4.6 percent in May.”
The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Kentucky was measured at 1.0 for June, meaning there was roughly one available job for every unemployed person seeking work in the state during that period. Across the country, this ratio varied: twenty-five states and the District of Columbia had ratios lower than the national average of 0.9; eighteen states were higher than this average; and seven states matched it.
In terms of hiring activity, Kentucky saw a decrease from May to June with hires dropping from 81,000 to 75,000 and separations falling from 72,000 to 69,000 over the same period. Over the past year ending in June, monthly averages for hires and separations were recorded at approximately 76,000 and 72,000 respectively.
Looking more closely at separations for June: quits totaled 39,000 while layoffs and discharges accounted for another 26,000—both figures slightly lower than those seen a month earlier when quits reached 42,000 and layoffs/discharges stood at 25,000. For the last twelve months on record through June, quits averaged about 43,000 per month (ranging between 36,000 and 50,000), while layoffs/discharges averaged around 24,000 per month (with a range between nineteen thousand and thirty thousand).
The next set of State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates is scheduled for release on September 17th.
This report draws on data from JOLTS—the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey—which provides insight into labor demand as well as turnover trends within each state by incorporating information from several sources including JOLTS samples themselves along with Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data plus Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates.
Definitions provided by BLS clarify that job openings are counted if they meet specific criteria on their reference date; hires reflect all payroll additions throughout a given month; separations cover all departures within that time frame—broken down further into categories such as quits or layoffs/discharges.
Further details about methodology or technical notes can be found via resources provided by BLS upon request.
