Kentucky
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in Kentucky
Total Workforce
2,085,723
Federal Workforce
23,118
Probationary Federal Workforce
2,746
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 39.67% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 46.39% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | Kentucky Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 1 |
| Economy & Employment | 6 |
| Education | 3 |
| Energy | 9 |
| Food & Agriculture | 8 |
| Housing | 1 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 1 |
| Infrastructure | 8 |
| International Development | 1 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 19 |
| Overarching | 11 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 22 |
| Research & Academic Research | 3 |
| Social Services | 6 |
| Total | 99 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/21/25
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 5 contracts, 20 grants and 16 leases have been terminated in Kentucky.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in Kentucky
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| NURSE | 1617 | 220 |
| CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE | 1258 | 336 |
| HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 1114 | 33 |
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 988 | 67 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT | 858 | 44 |
| TAX EXAMINING | 724 | 107 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 548 | 100 |
| MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS | 534 | 19 |
| EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING | 499 | 83 |
| MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE | 494 | 103 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KY | Department Of The Army | 6785 | 652 | 7437 |
| KY | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 5221 | 1021 | 6242 |
| KY | Department Of The Treasury | 2338 | 475 | 2813 |
| KY | Department Of Defense | 1529 | 265 | 1794 |
| KY | Department Of Agriculture | 1020 | 147 | 1167 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $10,213,792 | $5,878,902 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 7581 |
| Hardin County | 4970 |
| Fayette County | 4468 |
| Christian County | 3134 |
| Kenton County | 2766 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
In Kentucky, several federally supported social programs are particularly impactful, addressing the state’s unique needs and demographics. These programs collectively play a vital role in supporting the well-being of Kentuckians, addressing healthcare, nutrition, education, income support, and housing needs. Examples include:
- Kynect (Medicaid)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Head Start and Early Head Start
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Unemployment Insurance (UI)
- Housing Assistance
Due to federal budget cuts in 2025, some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future.
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
"Anonymous has heard from more than a dozen farmers or agricultural businesses that have either struggled to access funding or have been told the programs that pay them have been paused. Two such entities are owed more than $50,000, she said." - Anonymous