Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.5 percent in April. This was a decrease from 3.7 percent in March and a decrease from 12.6 percent in April 2020.
“We've seen significant improvement in the unemployment rate throughout the past year, from a historic high of 12.6 percent in April 2020, down to 3.5 percent just twelve months later,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “Great progress is being made as we are approaching pre-pandemic unemployment rates."
In Ellis County, the unemployment rate dipped to just 1.9 percent. Several northwest Kansas counties showed jobless rates at or below the 2 percent mark, with the area high of 2.8 percent in Barton, Decatur and Sherman counties.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs decreased by 1,400 from March. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, decreased by 1,300 from the previous month, while government decreased by 100.
“Over the past year Kansas has recovered more than 64 percent of the 158,000 jobs lost in March and April of 2020,” said Labor Economist Todd Rilinger. “The leisure and hospitality industry, which saw the largest losses last year, added 500 jobs in April 2021. This brings the total jobs recovered for the industry to more than 73 percent."
Since April 2020, Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 101,600. This change is due to an increase of 103,800 private sector jobs and a decrease of 2,200 government jobs.