Fayette County, KY jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meFayette County economy
3.8%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.8% the month before
182,089
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
321,122
people in Fayette County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$67,631
median household income
Source: Census ACS
47%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Fayette County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 4.5% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 2.2% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.8%, unchanged from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+1,925 jobs), professional & technical (+1,018 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: admin & staffing (−490 jobs), transportation & warehousing (−375 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Fayette County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Longtime Lexington TV anchor Doug High will be on the air again soonLexington Herald-Leader on MSN · Oct 24, 2026
Learn and get funded in Fayette County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Fayette County layoffs
4
Layoff notices, last 12 months
1,052
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
4
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VestisTakes effect Aug 15, 2026 | Fayette County | 32 | Closure | State record | |
| UK HealthCare-HIV Program OperationsTakes effect Jun 30, 2026 | Fayette County | 61 | Closure | State record | |
| University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Science | Fayette County | 36 | — | State record | |
| Aramark Campus, LLCTakes effect Jun 30, 2026 | Fayette County | 923 | Closure | State record |
Colleges in Fayette County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | Lexington | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| Transylvania University | Lexington | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Lexington Theological Seminary | Lexington | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Fayette County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Kentucky? How to file for unemployment in Kentucky (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Bluegrass Workforce Innovation Board
Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Nicholas, Powell, Scott, Woodford
Kentucky Career Center - Lexington
Lexington · Comprehensive · 859-267-2223
8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Other Kentucky counties
Laid off or looking for work in Fayette County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Kentucky’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Kentucky unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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