Monday, January 24, 2022

Kansas unemployment rate dips to 3.3 percent, returns to pre-COVID levels


By Tim Carpenter

The Kansas unemployment rate fell for a third consecutive month to 3.3% in December and reach the 3.1% to 3.3% range that prevailed from early 2018 until start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Joblessness in Kansas surged to 12.6% in April 2020 when the economy shuddered under threat of a virus that has eventually infected one-fourth of the state’s population, hospitalized in excess of 17,000 people and became a factor in the death of 7,319 individuals in the state.








The rate of unemployment in Kansas fell to 4.7% in December 2020 and 3.8% by July 2021 before dipping to 3.3% last month. Approximately 1.45 million Kansans held down December, the state officials said. In November, Kansas’ rate was 3.6%.

Aside from the initial nine months of the pandemic, the unemployment rate in the state hasn’t surpassed 4% since 2016.

“Kansas ended the year with sustained progress towards economic recovery,” said Amber Shultz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor. “Estimates indicate that employers continued to add jobs in December and the unemployment rate declined.”

The monthly reporting on employment relies on collaboration between the state Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Their latest assessment indicated the seasonally adjusted total of Kansas nonfarm jobs expanded by 800 from November to December. The number of private-sector jobs climbed by 2,000, while government employment dropped by 1,200.

“Kansas nonfarm jobs increased for the seventh consecutive month as gains in the private sector offset a decline in government jobs in December,” said Emilie Doerksen, an economist at the state Department of Labor. “Although the rate of growth has slowed, December estimates indicate continued expansion for trade, transportation and utilities as well as continued recovery in manufacturing.”

From December 2020 to December 2021, Kansas added 38,600 nonfarm jobs. The majority — 36,500 — were in the private sector. Only 2,100 were government jobs.

Since March 2020, the state Department of Labor has paid out 5.2 million weekly claims totaling $3.3 billion between regular unemployment and the federal pandemic programs.

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