Kenton County employers in manufacturing, logistics, and skilled trades are pulling workers from across the Ohio River because they can't fill positions locally, according to new data from regional economic development leaders.
For every two people added to Northern Kentucky's population, one new job is created, BE NKY research analyst Ashby Drummond said in a report published Tuesday, July 28, by The Northerner. That math leaves employers short-handed, particularly in Boone and Kenton counties.
"You see a lot in the skilled labor around the airport, advanced manufacturing, logistics and transportation industries, there just simply aren't enough people who want to work those jobs, who live in Boone County or who live in Kenton County," Drummond said. "So they have to import that labor from primarily across the river."
The region's workforce stands at roughly 217,000 workers with a 66% labor force participation rate, above both state and national averages, according to BE NKY's 2025 Economy in Review. But three structural forces are squeezing the pipeline: an aging population (23% of residents are over 60, up from 18% in 2014), slowing birth rates, and limited in-migration.
Corry Eimer, associate director of workforce development at the Northern Kentucky Area Development District and director of NKY Works, said projected population growth won't close the gap. The BE NKY report shows the region has added an average of 3,600 residents per year over the past decade, but employer demand keeps climbing faster.
The shortage isn't abstract for Fort Wright, Crestview Hills, and Edgewood businesses. They compete for the same shrinking labor pool.
What it means for Kenton County businesses
Manufacturing alone employs 22,855 workers across Northern Kentucky, generates $4.3 billion in gross regional product, and pays an average of $80,475 annually, according to the BE NKY report. Transportation and warehousing added 19,000 jobs since 2014, a 130% increase.
Fort Wright-based Payroll Partners announced plans in 2025 to expand operations and create 40 new jobs in Kenton County, according to BE NKY's 2025 Annual Report. That expansion illustrates the demand side: companies are growing, but the workers aren't there to match.
Training pipeline responds
Several workforce programs are targeting Kenton County directly. BE NKY invested $220,000 into TradesNKY in 2025, enabling the nonprofit to expand skilled-trades after-school clubs into four Kenton County School District middle schools: Holmes, Turkey Foot, Twenhofel, and Woodland, plus Summit View Academy.
The Enzweiler Building Institute in Erlanger, which serves about 400 students per year across eight trades programs and maintains an 89% job placement rate, received a $20,000 grant from the Ohio Valley Foundation on Sunday, July 26, to replace training tools and equipment. EBI partners with Kenton County Schools through its Introduction to Skilled Construction Trades program.
In 2025, 17 Northern Kentucky companies received more than $1.5 million through Kentucky's Bluegrass State Skills Corporation to train over 2,100 employees. More than 60% of those companies are in advanced manufacturing.
Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann called for the workforce effort to be "ramped up multiplefold" when the Kenton County Fiscal Court unanimously voted to back NKY Works in March 2024, according to LinkNKY.
BE NKY's report lists workforce development as its top regional priority, warning that nearly 50% of Northern Kentucky's workforce faces potential disruption from AI and automation. The NKY Chamber's next talent event is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, in Erlanger.
