Plus, a High Street coffee shop has closed.
 
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75º | 37% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:49 a.m. | Sunset 7:44 p.m.
 

Now see who’s hiring

The top industries and employers in the Lexington metro area
An aerial shot of Lexington.
Lexington was listed No. 14 on SmartAsset’s list of Best Places for Career Opportunities. | Photo by @thedronerangerky
More than 696,000 people (and thousands of businesses) contribute to the Lexington metro area’s $30 billion economy. But have you ever wondered about the Horse Capital of the World’s heaviest hitters?

Consider this Lexington Business 101 — your guide to our region’s seven key industries and 10 major employers.

Note: When we say the Lexington metro area, that refers to Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott, and Woodford counties.

The key industries

There are seven key industries that represent ~71% of the Lexington metro area’s economy, based on data from Commerce Lexington. We’ve listed them in order of employment numbers.

Manufacturing | 15.7% or 43,313 employees
The Bluegrass Region is home to manufacturing companies such as Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Lockheed Martin, and Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas Inc. This sector also includes some of the highest wage-payers in the area.

Healthcare and social services | 15.4% or 42,491 employees
UK Healthcare, Baptist Health, CHI Saint Joseph Health, and Veterans — along with their regional hospitals and offices — take the lion’s share of this sector’s employment.

Retail: Home, Food, Automobiles, Personal Care | 13.8% or 38,247 employees
Think of your favorite local businesses that keep clothes on our backs, and food and books on our shelves.

A bird's eye view of UK's campus.

UK is the region’s number one employer. | Photo by Mark Cornelison

The major players

Now that we’ve established the major industries, we bet you’re curious about specific names. Whether you’re job hunting (or just “casually prospecting”), here are 12 major employers — all that employ more than 5,000 workers on average.

University of Kentucky
25,574 employees | Education, Healthcare | Search jobs
Big Blue Nation takes the No. 1 seed on this list thanks to both the university and the hospital. The University was founded 1865 and is home to 200+ academic programs and 16 degree-granting colleges.

Kentucky State Government
11,210 employees | Government | Search jobs
More than just politics, working for the state provides opportunities in nursing, family support, social work, as well as corrections, probation, and parole.
City Guides are presented by VisitLEX.
More about our bustling businesses
Asked

Which company employs the most people globally?
A. Amazon
B. McDonald’s
C. Walmart
D. Starbucks
Test your business knowledge
 
Events
Thursday, March 14
  • Empowering Excellence Panel | Thursday, March 14 | 4-5:30 p.m. | Eastside Branch, 3000 Blake James Dr., Lexington | Free | Be inspired by a diverse panel of local female entrepreneurs as they share their stories.
  • Exile | Thursday, March 14 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main St., Lexington | $45.50 | See the legendary Kentucky band as they play through classic hits and tunes from their new album, “A Million Miles Later.”
Friday, March 15
  • Gallery Hop | Friday, March 15 | 5-8 p.m. | Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, 139 E. Main St., Lexington | Free | Stop in during the LexArts Hop to see three galleries in one prime downtown spot.
  • St. Patrick’s Charcuterie Class | Friday, March 15 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Harkness Edwards Vineyards, 5199 Combs Ferry Rd., Winchester | $57 | Sip on wine, mingle, and build your own green-themed charcuterie board.
Saturday, March 16
  • Black Flag | Saturday, March 16 | 8 p.m. | Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St., Lexington | $25-$45 | Rock out with these iconic legends of punk rock.
Sunday, March 17
  • “Little Women: The Musical” | Sunday, March 17 | Times vary | Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St., Lexington | $54.50-$99.50 | See the musical adaptation of the coming-of-age story about the March sisters.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Wellness

Not your grandpa’s hearing device
a hand holds a hearing aid between two fingers
Cutting-edge German technology allows users to control these hearing aids with the Horizon App using precision smartphone connectivity and Bluetooth. | Photo provided by hear.com
What happens when you combine German engineering with the world’s most trusted name in hearing care? The biggest breakthrough in hearing technology in more than a decade.

Introducing the Horizon IX hearing aid by hear.com. It’s one of the world’s first dual processing hearing aids, which separates speech and background noise to deliver never-before-heard clarity.

Ready to join 385,000 people hearing better than ever? See if you qualify for a 45-day no-risk trial of the award-winning Horizon IX hearing devices below.
Start my 45-day, no-risk trial
News Notes
Closed
  • Far Out Espresso has officially closed its doors at 494 High St. The trailer-turned-brick-and-mortar served up CBD-infused baked goods, Italian food, and featured a full coffee bar. Get your caffeine fix at one of our other many coffee shops. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
Traffic
  • Some changes are coming to downtown’s signal patterns to protect pedestrians. A Lead Pedestrian Interval has been incorporated at West Main Street + North Broadway, which aims to give pedestrians more walk time, visibility, and includes yellow flashing arrows to remind motorists to yield.
Ranked
  • Horses, bourbon, and vibrant charm — those are just a few reasons why Southern Living ranked Lexington the No. 11 best city in the South. While we may have not been at the top of the list (shoutout to CHStoday), LEX is always No. 1 in our hearts. (Southern Living)
Environment
  • Solarize Lexington — a program that connects property owners to discounted sustainable energy — is returning for a second year. Homeowners can attend the Solarize 101 workshop on Thursday, March 21 to inquire about the initiative and see if they are a good fit.
Seasonal
  • The Lexington Farmers’ Market is taking over the Warehouse Block this Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The temporary location will see vendors lined up in the parking lot near Mirror Twin Brewing, offering your favorite fresh food + produce. Check out other farmers markets in the area.
Coming Soon
  • This tea is piping hot. According to Commerce Lexington, NoLi is about to be home to Lexington Tea & Brie. While not much is known, signage is up at 219 N. Limestone. We’ll update you as we learn more about its offerings + potential opening date.
Eat
  • Need Easter plans? Hop over to Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast for a chef-driven Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet featuring a large selection of dishes crafted with local ingredients. Tickets ($60 per person) include a Bellini or mocktail. Bonus: There’s a cookie decorating class happening, too. Call to make a reservation.*
Shop
 
Eat

🥧 Pie in the Sky

LEX make the most of Pi Day 2025
LEXtoday_missyspie
Missy’s Coconut Cream Pie are what dreams are made of. | Photo courtesy of @bestfoodlex
Today is Pi Day, aka the day we use an infinite number as an excuse (not that you need one) to gorge on sweet + savory pies.

For anyone who needs a geometry refresher, pi is the result of dividing the distance around a circle by the distance across a circle. The result is an irrational number, most commonly represented as 3.14, though its full value stretches into infinity. So grab a plate, a fork, and a seat — we’re rounding up spots to celebrate this Pi Day.

The Fresh Market, Multiple locations
Enjoy select varieties of 7-7.5 oz pies for, you guessed it, $3.14, earning you a savings of at least $1.85 per pie — that’s more than halfway towards buying another pie.

Missy’s Pie Shop, 502 E. High St. or at Ramsey’s locations
A local expert on all things pie, stop by this Lexington staple to sample their Cheesecake of the Day, by the slice or by the pie.

Blaze Pizza, 4049 Finn Way
Head to the Summit at Fritz Farm and snag a BOGO 11-inch pizza deal for $3.14.

La Bonne Vie Personal Chef + Catering, 1060 Chinoe Rd Ste. 108
Become a pie expert during this baking class where you’ll master pie crust fundamentals, learn to make tomato pie, grasshopper pie and peach hand pie + trivia, jokes, and tastings. Tickets start at $85.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, 3297 Nicholasville Rd.
Have you ever tried a pizookie? Now’s your chance to experience two of BJ’s unique desserts when you dine in today and get a second pizookie for $3.14.
The Buy
The Wedding Shower Gift Guide. From the card to the main attraction, you’ll be considered a gift-giving superhero.
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The Wrap
 
Aayat Ali

Today’s edition by:
Aayat
From the editor
Speaking of Pi Day....I’ve secretly always wanted to be pied in the face. Someone make my dreams come true.
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