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unemployment insurance

How to improve Kentucky's low labor force participation rate and why changes to UI benefits are not the answer

How to improve Kentucky's low labor force participation rate and why changes to UI benefits are not the answer

Given the tight labor market we are currently experiencing, the labor force participation rate is receiving a lot of attention. Recently, Kentucky legislators have made changes to the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) benefit program to address the low labor force participation in the state. However, changes to UI eligibility is unlikely to have any significant change on the state’s labor force participation rate. Policies targeting child care and economic opportunity for individuals with a disability and older workers are the main instruments for improving the state’s labor force participation rate.

Mismatch between employers seeking workers and people seeking work

Mismatch between employers seeking workers and people seeking work

There were more than 30,000 individuals out of work but actively seeking work within the Louisville region in March. Even so, we are hearing from employers that they are unable to fill open positions and are scrambling to find workers. What is causing the disconnect between the unemployed and available job openings?

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the Louisville region

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the Louisville region

Economic conditions in the United States have changed at an unprecedented rate in the last 90 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, going from record-low unemployment rates to record-highs in just a few months. The closure of non-essential businesses and dramatic declines in consumer spending have left millions of workers jobless. New data released Wednesday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics sheds light on how the Louisville metropolitan region’s economy has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The data reveals the local economic conditions in mid-April, at the height of the pandemic.