LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hundreds of eastern Kentucky miners let go by Arch Coal Inc. this week are facing slim prospects as they look for opportunities to replace those high-wage jobs in a region plagued by stubbornly high unemployment.

“It’s a tough, tough situation,” said Jeff Whitehead, executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board, a nonprofit group that matches employers with people looking for work. “Eastern Kentucky doesn’t have a real diverse economy.”