The Kansas Department of Labor reports the state’s February unemployment rate of 3.9% is unchanged from January and up a tenth of a point from a year ago. Due to the federal government shutdown last fall, employment numbers are catching up from the months when reports were not issued.
The seasonally adjusted numbers indicate total non-farm payroll for February declined by 3,800 from January, with the largest job sector losses in trade, transportation and Utilities which was down by 1,800 jobs. The largest job gains came in the leisure and hospitality sector.
Labor force participation in January for Kansas decreased to 67.8 percent. Over the past year seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs were up 1,100, with private sector jobs up 1.300 and government jobs down 200.
Golden Belt unemployment for February ranged from a low of 3.1% in Ness County and 3.2% in Pawnee County and Ellis County to a high of 4.7% in Barton County, which has the highest rate in the western half of Kansas. For other area counties, Edwards and Russell were at 3.9%, Kiowa at4.0%, Ford at 3.3%, Hodgeman and Stafford at 3.6%, Rush and Ellsworth at 3.3%, and Pratt County at 3.7%.
