May 21, 2022

Another big drop in the jobless rate in Geary County

Posted May 21, 2022 2:00 PM

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.4% in April. This was unchanged from 2.4% in March and a decrease from 3.5% in April 2021.

“While the unemployment rate remained steady at 2.4% over-the-month, it has seen significant improvement over-the-year as more Kansans move from unemployed to employed,” said Secretary Amber Shultz.

The jobless rate in Geary County fell from 3.8 percent in March to 3 percent in April. Most counties across the region have an unemployment rate below 2 percent.

Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 500 from March. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs decreased by 100 over the month, while government increased by 600.

“Preliminary estimates for April indicate little change over-the-month for seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in Kansas,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “Small gains reported for multiple industries were offset by a decline in professional and business services. Despite the monthly decline for professional and business services, the industry has added jobs over-the-year.”

Since April 2021, Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 22,900. This change is due to an increase of 23,400 private sector jobs and a decrease of 500 government jobs.