The Kansas unemployment rate ticked up to 2.9% in May, which amounted to the second consecutive month of a 0.1% rise in the jobless figure. The 2024 climb began in February when the rate increased to 2.7%. The state’s unemployment rate has remained below 3% since October 2021. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)
By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — The unemployment rate in Kansas increased to 2.9% in May to continue escalation in the percentage of out-of-work state residents that began taking shape in February, state and federal labor officials said.
The Kansas Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics say preliminary estimates show the May jobless rate in the state was 0.3% higher than at the outset of 2024. The rate was 2.6% in January, 2.7% in February and March and 2.8% in April before landing at 2.9% in May.
The state’s unemployment rate has remained under 3% since October 2021. It reached double-digits in early months of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic undermined the economy.
While government employment in Kansas expanded by 400 jobs during May, the state surrendered 300 private-sector jobs in the month. Those numbers were combined to produce a figure for total nonfarm employment, which stood at 1.46 million in May.
“Preliminary estimates for May indicate little change over the month,” said Emilie Doerksen, an economist with the state Department of Labor. “Total nonfarm job estimates increased by 100, the unemployment rate edged up to 2.9%, andthe labor force participation rate held steady at 66.1%.”
The Kansas labor force in May consisted of 1.5 million people, with 1.46 million employed and 43,800 out of work.
In the past 12 months, Kansas’ total nonfarm jobs climbed by 24,000. The Department of Labor says that was due to a surge of 18,700 private sector positions and the addition of 5,300 government jobs.
The average nominal hourly earnings in Kansas for private sector workers increased 3.4% over the past 12 months to $30.09.
This article was reprinted with permission from the Kansas Reflector. The Kansas Reflector is a non-profit online news organization serving Kansas. For more information on the organization, go to its website at www.kansasreflector.com.