Logan County continued to have the lowest unemployment rate in the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) when the most recent statistics were released last week by the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Logan County’s jobless rate was down half a point from the previous month, coming in at 6.9 percent for October. Monroe County had the second lowest rate in the 10-county BRADD region at 7.0 percent and Warren County was third at 7.1 percent.

The unemployment rate in Logan County was also lower than all its other neighboring Kentucky Counties. Simpson County had a rate of 7.9 percent, Butler County was 8.0 percent, Todd County was 7.6 percent and Muhlenberg County was 8.4 percent.

The statewide average was 7.8 percent.

Over the past year, unemployment has dropped dramatically in Logan County. The rate was 8.1 percent in October of last year.

That was the trend statewide as unemployment rates fell in 101 Kentucky counties between October 2011 and October 2012, while 17 county rates increased and two stayed the same.

Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the Commonwealth at 5.6 percent. It was followed by Scott County, 6 percent; Fayette, Shelby and Union counties, 6.2 percent each; Oldham County, 6.3 percent; Franklin and Madison counties, 6.4 percent each; Larue County, 6.5 percent; and Bracken, Caldwell, Jessamine, Owen and Webster counties, 6.6 percent each.

Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate — 15.5 percent. It was followed by Fulton County, 14.7 percent; Knott and Letcher counties, 13.5 percent each; Leslie County, 13.4 percent; Bell, Harlan and Jackson counties, 13 percent; and Perry and Wolfe counties, 12.4 percent each.

Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. Civilian labor force statistics include non-military workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work. They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The statistics in this news release are not seasonally adjusted to allow for comparisons between United States, state and county figures.