KCK unemployment rate still at top for state
August unemployment figures of 6.1 percent in Wyandotte County and 6.2 percent in Kansas City, Kan., are less than July, and also less than one year ago, according to figures released today.
The Kansas City, Kan., unemployment rate of 6.2 percent is down from July’s 6.9 percent and also down from August 2015’s 6.4 percent, according to the Kansas Department of Labor.
Figures for Wyandotte County also are down from July’s 6.8 percent and August 2015’s 6.4 percent, according to the KDOL.
Unemployment in Kansas City, Kan., was 6.2 percent in August, putting the city at the top of the largest cities in Kansas for unemployment.
According to Kansas Department of Labor figures, there were 4,366 persons listed as unemployed in Kansas City, Kan., during August.
This month Kansas City, Kan., tied with Junction City, which also has a 6.2 percent unemployment rate, representing 543 persons unemployed.
Wyandotte County reported an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, representing, 4,685 persons listed as unemployed, according to state figures.
Unemployment rate was higher, at 7 percent in Wilson County, Woodson County and Linn County.
Statewide, the Kansas Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, up from 4 percent in July and 4.1 percent in August 2015.
“The private sector gained 600 jobs over the month, but those gains were offset by declines in government jobs on the state and local levels,” said Tyler Tenbrink, senior labor economist, Kansas Department of Labor, in a news release. “Overall the state posted an over the month loss in total nonfarm jobs.”
Over the year, Kansas lost 8,300 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs. Kansas lost 4,200 private sector jobs since August 2015.
Kansas not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs decreased by 7,700, a 0.6 percent decrease since August 2015. Kansas lost 3,400 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.3 percent. The state lost 2,800 total not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs over the month. Since July, private sector jobs decreased by 2,300, or 0.2 percent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised seasonally adjusted preliminary total nonfarm job estimates for July down by 200 jobs, from 1,395,700 to 1,395,500. Seasonally adjusted private sector jobs were revised down by 700 jobs, from 1,140,600 to1,139,900.
Seasonally adjusted estimates for August show that the state’s labor force declined by 5,300 to 1,484,753. Of those in the labor force, 1,421,035 Kansans were employed and 63,718 were unemployed. This month’s net change in the labor force was attributable to 8,802 fewer Kansans counted as employed and 3,502 more unemployed.
Over the year, the labor force decreased by 14,865 persons, with a decrease of 17,606 in employment and an increase of 2,741 in unemployment.