Boone County's job market remains one of the strongest in Kentucky, even as unemployment ticked up across most of the state.

KYSTATS reported a 4.8% unemployment rate for Boone County in June 2026, tying with Shelby County for the eighth-lowest rate among all 120 Kentucky counties, according to data released July 23. Neighboring Campbell and Kenton counties fared slightly better at 4.7% each.

The county-level numbers are not seasonally adjusted because of small sample sizes, KYSTATS notes, and should only be compared to the same month in prior years. The agency did not publish Boone County's June 2025 rate in the release, so a direct year-over-year local comparison is not available.

Statewide, the picture is less rosy. Unemployment rates rose in 116 of Kentucky's 120 counties between June 2025 and June 2026, according to KYSTATS. Only Owsley and Russell counties saw declines, while Bracken and Harlan held steady.

"Kentucky's unemployment rate increased to 4.7% in June," Mike Clark, director of the University of Kentucky's Center for Business and Economic Research, said in the state's July 16 jobs report. "The increase reflects a weaker labor market as fewer workers reported having a job and more reported that they were actively looking for work."

Kentucky's seasonally adjusted statewide rate hit 4.7% in June, up from 4.5% in May and 0.1 percentage points higher than June 2025, according to the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet. The state's civilian labor force totaled roughly 2.1 million workers, with 98,200 unemployed. Nonfarm employment fell by 6,600 jobs, or 0.3%, compared to a year earlier.

Local hiring adds context

Three major employers have expanded or launched operations in Boone County in the past year, announcing plans for hundreds of new positions.

Logistics provider Stord announced in December 2025 a $40 million-plus expansion of its Hebron fulfillment facility, projecting more than 500 new jobs, though the company has not specified a completion timeline. Stord acquired a 520,000-square-foot former Pitney Bowes building in Hebron in 2024.

ARMOR-IIMAK followed on May 4, 2026, announcing a nearly $6 million expansion of its Boone County plant that will create 44 new Kentucky positions in manufacturing, technical and support roles. Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore said at the time that the company was growing its local workforce by more than 70%.

Sun Country Airlines opened a new operational base at CVG on January 31, 2026, to support Amazon Air cargo operations, and was hiring pilots in the Cincinnati area as part of the launch.

Where Boone County stands

Woodford County recorded Kentucky's lowest June 2026 jobless rate at 4.5%. Martin County had the highest at 10.6%, more than double Boone County's figure.

The number of employed Kentuckians has decreased during each of the first six months of 2026, according to Clark. Transportation, warehousing and utilities employment held flat from May to June statewide, while retail trade added 1,000 jobs.