Kentucky's unemployment rate is higher than the national average and workers who are employed said they are unsatisfied with their pay, according to new data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics and the Pew Research Center.

Paychecks have not kept up with the cost of living and are too low for the quality or amount of work they do, the survey revealed.

Dustin Pugel, policy director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, said the Commonwealth has relatively low wages compared to other states, with an average household income of about $60,000 a year.

"The bottom 10% of workers had been stagnant for years and years, particularly following the Great Recession," Pugel pointed out. "After the COVID downturn, low-income wages have actually outpaced inflation."

Child care continues to be a major financial burden for households. According to the latest federal data, families spend between 9% and 16% of their income on full-day care for just one child, with costs ranging from around $6,500 to more than $15,000 a year.

Workers are now much more likely than in 2022 to say it would be difficult for them to get the kind of job they would want if they were to look for a new one, especially low-income workers. And more than 60% said they are unlikely to look for a new job in the next six months.

Pugel noted the wage gap and lack of options are driving increased labor organizing in the Commonwealth.

"I think what we've seen is a lot of response to that frustration through increased unionization," Pugel observed. "Especially in low-wage service sectors like baristas and bookstores."

According to the Kentucky Center for Statistics, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2% as of December 2024, slightly higher than the national rate. However, Kentucky continues to add new jobs in nonfarm sectors and manufacturing. More than 2 million people contribute to the state's civilian workforce.


get more stories like this via email

Kansas City transit riders and workers are fighting proposed cuts, warning of a looming public transit crisis.

Hundreds of advocates of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority gathered on the steps of City Hall last week over threats to cut 13 bus routes, eliminate up to 175 transit jobs and shut down the Immigrant and Refugee Integration Services microtransit program.

Protesters warned the cuts could strand thousands, cost hundreds of jobs and leave misclassified IRIS drivers without unemployment benefits.

Ashley Ball, a leader with Stand Up KC and the Missouri Workers Center, relies on public transit for work.

"I was living in a hotel with my kids in North Kansas City and the buses weren't always reliable, so I got IRIS early to be able to get to my shift," Ball explained. "I work in the city now, overnights at Taco Bell. It's very beneficial to have IRIS when I get off work."

Supporters argued the cuts are needed to address KCATA's budget shortfall, as the city's $71 million allocation falls far short of the $117 million needed. Officials also cited high administrative costs and call for more efficient transit operations.

In 2024, KCATA reported 1.1 million riders, a four-year high, averaging more than 35,000 people daily. Couple that with KC Streetcars, and Kansas City's transit served more than 40,000 people per day last year.

For Ball, its significance goes beyond just transportation.

"Our public transportation is the heart of the city," Ball emphasized. "It allows us, no matter where we are from or what we look like, to move around, accomplish our goals and try to live a better dream."

The budget cuts are being discussed by the City Council Finance Committee after talks were delayed in a previous session.


get more stories like this via email

Minnesota's up-and-coming doctors say in order to better care for patients down the road, they need collective bargaining power.

A large group of them has filed to form a union, reflecting an industry shift. This week, a supermajority of nearly 1,000 University of Minnesota resident physicians and fellows submitted their union-creation plans. It follows a similar move by peers at Hennepin Health earlier this month.

Dr. Thomas Schmidt, infectious diseases fellow at the University of Minnesota, said the current work environment for providers advancing through their training in hospitals and other settings is pretty grueling, with up to 80-hour workweeks in some cases.

"It's us making sure that we're having some breaks and making sure that we're able to have some life outside of training," Schmidt explained. "To ensure that we can be good doctors when we're there with our patients."

Schmidt cited burnout, still lingering from the COVID-19 pandemic, as one factor behind doctors embracing unionization. Researchers say the number of newly union-represented doctors could soon double, compared with the past two decades.

Because of consolidation in health care, more physicians are now employees of larger systems, as opposed to independent practitioners. The university said it will be responsive to all necessary parties as the process takes shape.

Doctors still getting their training say the residency system leaves little room to advocate for changes or request a new location. And while established medical professionals might make good money, Schmidt said it is not the case for residents, who are often in the $15 to $20 per-hour range.

"That is not a substantial amount of money to be able to take care of your housing, to take care of your family," Schmidt pointed out. "I'm a parent of two young kids, so it has not been easy to be a trainee."

He added some peers are delaying starting a family because of the limited pay and long hours.

Skeptics fear the union push among doctors will reduce the earnings of specialists. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, which has members working on infectious disease control in the state health department, recognizes the need for providers to have a bigger voice. It said it is vital as public health concerns, such as the bird flu, add to the work demands for the young professionals.

Overflow crowds are showing up at town hall meetings in Iowa, which had been planned to allow people to ask questions of their congressional representatives. But the lawmakers are not showing up.

Constituents are attending town hall meetings at libraries across the state to ask about potential changes to Social Security, cuts to government agencies - and rollbacks of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.

But Iowa American Federation of Labor President Charlie Wishman said U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks - R-Davenport - and U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn - R-Bondurant - are among lawmakers who haven't shown up to listen.

"And if they don't show up, we still have crowds that are standing room only or overflowing," said Wishman, "just to try and talk to an empty chair."

Wishman said advocacy groups are trying to find other ways to connect people with their representatives - including by writing postcards or emails, or calling their Washington offices with questions about the Trump administration's effort to reduce spending and downsize the federal government.

The advisory group, the Department of Government Efficiency - overseen by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk - has announced plans to terminate leases for seven federal office buildings in Iowa, including for the IRS, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wishman said the cuts mean terminating important positions for federal workers in Iowa.

"Bird flu people," said Wishman, "or they work at the disease lab up in Ames or, like, something that we really need staffed."

Wishman said since lawmakers didn't show up to the scheduled town hall meetings, attendees wrote their questions on postcards - which he says will be delivered to the congressional representatives' offices.