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Jobless rate dips in Kansas December labor report

Seasonally adjusted unemployment took a 1.3 percent drop in December in Kansas from the month prior. December sat at 3.8 percent, a decent fall from November’s 5.1 percent jobless rate.

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 3.8 percent in December.

This was a decrease from 5.1 percent in November and an increase from 3.1 percent in December 2019. “The unemployment rate fell in December, but remains significantly higher than the prepandemic rate,” said Acting Secretary Brett Flachsbarth.

“The federal unemployment benefit programs that initially expired on December 26th were extended and the Kansas Department of Labor is currently evaluating guidelines from the United States Department of Labor and working to implement these CARES Act extensions and bring much-needed relief to eligible claimants.”

Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 2,300 from November. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 4,500 from the previous month, while government decreased by 2,200.