Employment

Kansas labor department reduces claimant backlog

A large portion of Kansas residents expecting federal unemployment benefits originally meant for the self-employed have been moved to other unemployment programs as the labor department works to reduce a backlog. The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) announced changes in… more

State-employed Kansans to make office return in June

State of Kansas offices will return to normal operations beginning June 13. Gov. Laura Kelly made the announcement on Wednesday. The decision to return to normal was made due to the volume of vaccinations, availability of COVID-19 testing and a… more

April job growth dips lower

Hiring was a huge letdown in April, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by a much less than expected 266,000 and the unemployment rate rose to 6.1% amid an escalating shortage of available workers. Dow Jones estimates had been for 1 million… more

State incentives will fuel hiring at Torch.AI

An artificial intelligence company based in the Kansas City suburb of Leawood, Kansas, plans to add nearly 500 new high-paying jobs to the region over the next five years. Torch.AI’s expansion was announced Friday. The company provides high-speed processing of large… more

Jobless claims drop once again

In the week ending May 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 498,000, a decrease of 92,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it… more

State-employed Missourians to return to work by mid-May

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has directed all state employees to return to in-person work in the office by May 17, after many spent most of the past 14 months working remotely. Parson's order, announced Wednesday, also requires that all state… more

Yellow Corporation continues hiring spree going into Q2

Formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., Kansas City area company Yellow Corp. is hiring thousands of new employees nationwide which are expected to stretch into July. The company, which added nearly 2,000 drivers and dock workers in the first quarter,… more

Jobless claims continue decline

For the week ending April 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 553,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 19,000 from 547,000 to 566,000. The… more

Jobless claims sink once again

In the week ending April 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 547,000, a decrease of 39,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it… more

Jobless claims drop to new low since start of COVID-19

In the week ending April 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 576,000, a decrease of 193,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it… more