Nearly 600,000 Kentuckians seek jobless aid in 6 weeks

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – The U.S. Labor Department says nearly 91,000 Kentucky residents applied for unemployment benefits last week. The total is down from the prior week. But it’s a grim reminder that the coronavirus continues to inflict economic damage even as the governor rolls out plans to gradually kick start commerce.

The number of laid-off Kentucky workers seeking jobless assistance in the past six weeks swelled to nearly 600,000. That’s about 30% of the state’s civilian workforce.

The global pandemic has forced a cross-section of Kentucky employers to close their doors and slash their workforces.