Kansas Department of Labor
The unemployment rate for Ellis County for May was 3%.
Ellis County is almost a percentage point below the state average.
All of northwest Kansas had unemployment rates of less than 4% with the exception of Graham County at 4.2% and Osborne County at 4%
Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.8% statewide in May.
This is a decrease from 3.9% in April and unchanged from 3.8% in May 2025. The labor force participation rate for Kansas decreased to 67.2% in May.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 5,100 from April.
Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 4,600 over the month, while government increased by 500.
The largest job gains in the private sector were in leisure and hospitality (+2,100 jobs). The largest decrease was in other services (-600 jobs).
Since May 2025 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 7,400. This change is due to an increase of 5,200 private sector jobs and an increase of 2,200 government jobs.