The top employer in Kentucky is in Lexington, one ranking says ... and they’re hiring
The best employer in Kentucky, according to one ranking, is also one that is currently in dire need of more workers — the Fayette County Public Schools.
Forbes named the Fayette County schools at the top of Kentucky’s list in its 2021 ranking of America’s Best Employers by State.
In a ranking of 50 Kentucky employers, Louisville-based Texas Roadhouse ranked second, followed by the University of Kentucky, Baptist Health and Anthem.
To generate the state-by-state lists, Statista, a market research firm, surveyed 80,000 Americans who work at businesses that have 500 or more employees, asking them “to rate their employers on a variety of criteria, including safety of work environment, competitiveness of compensation, opportunities for advancement and openness to telecommuting,” Forbes said.
The research company also asked respondents how likely they were to recommend their employer to other people and asked them to suggest other employers outside the sector in which they worked, according to the magazine.
Fayette County Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said the district is “humbled and honored” by the ranking.
“This recognition is a reflection of the incredible students and families we work with, our fantastic team members who go above and beyond on a daily basis, and a community that provides unwavering support,” he said in a statement. “Education is a people business, where the service we deliver is directly related to the collective talents and efforts of our staff. The members of Team FCPS are some of the most brilliant, passionate, and committed professionals I have ever had the honor to serve alongside.”
Forbes noted that healthcare, education and retail companies “dominated the rankings,” despite being some of the industries most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
That certainly seems to be the case for the top Kentucky companies.
Fayette County Public Schools is currently facing a major shortage of cafeteria workers, and a lack of bus drivers and monitors has led to multiple bus route cancellations this school year.
The district also wants to hire more aides, substitute teachers and other support staff.
District spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall has said the district has a new recruiter focused on hiring “essential operations staff,” has commissioned a salary study to look at compensation for hourly workers and is “exploring additional incentives” for workers.
The Boone County School District (ranked 41st) was the only other K-12 school system on Kentucky’s list.
Forbes said Target and the United States Postal Service showed up on 32 states’ lists, more than any other employers. In Kentucky, they ranked 14th and 15th, respectively.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 8:46 PM.
