Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services (LMIS) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 6.9 percent in August. This was a decrease from 7.2 percent in July and an increase from 3.1 percent in August 2019.
“Data for August demonstrates continued progress in Kansas with the unemployment rate and job growth moving in the right direction,” said Acting Secretary Ryan Wright. “While we have seen continued improvement, KDOL remains committed to serving our claimants' needs during this time as more than 96,000 individuals received unemployment insurance benefits in August."
In Ellis County, the jobless rate continued to fall after the May spike caused by the pandemic. The unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in August, compared to 4.2 percent in July.
Graham County posted the highest jobless rate in northwest Kansas at 6.5 percent, while Russell, Rooks, Rush and Barton counties all had unemployment rates at or above 5 percent.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 9,300 from July. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 5,500 from the previous month, while government increased by 3,800.
“In August, Kansas employers added jobs for the fourth consecutive month,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “Since April, total nonfarm jobs have increased by 74,900, representing a recovery of 52.0 percent of jobs lost during March and April."
Since August 2019, Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have declined by 61,400. This change is due to a decrease of 53,800 private sector jobs and 7,600 government jobs.
