For Immediate Release
May 20, 2016

Courtesy of the Kansas Labor Information Center (KLIC)

TOPEKA, Kan. – The state’s April seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8 percent. This was down from 3.9 percent in March and from 4.2 percent in April 2015.

“Kansas’ unemployment rate dropped to 3.8 percent in April,” said Kansas Secretary of Labor, Lana Gordon. “Six thousand seven hundred fewer people received unemployment benefits this month compared to April of 2015.”

The preliminary seasonally adjusted job estimates from the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Kansas nonfarm jobs decreased by 3,700 from March. Since last month, Kansas private sector jobs decreased by 3,000. The largest private sector over the month job decrease was in Leisure and Hospitality.

Over the year, Kansas lost 600 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs. Kansas gained 800 private sector jobs since April 2015.

Kansas not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs decreased by 2,900, a 0.2 percent decrease since April 2015. Not seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas lost 1,600 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.1 percent. The state gained 9,100 total not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs over the month, or 0.7 percent. Since March, not seasonally adjusted private sector jobs increased by 10,000, or 0.9 percent.

“Private sector job estimates showed a decline since last April,” said Emilie Doerksen, Labor Economist, Kansas Department of Labor. “Service providing industries have shown growth, but these increases continue to be offset by losses in Mining and Construction.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised seasonally adjusted preliminary total nonfarm job estimates for March upward by 400 jobs, from 1,398,800 to 1,399,200. Seasonally adjusted private sector jobs were revised upwards by 300 jobs, from 1,142,500 to 1,142,800.

Seasonally adjusted estimates for April show that the state’s labor force declined by 3,141 to 1,509,389. Of those in the labor force, 1,452,055 Kansans were employed and 57,334 were unemployed. This month’s net change in the labor force was attributable to 934 fewer Kansans counted as employed and 2,207 fewer unemployed.

Over the year, the labor force expanded by 15,778 persons, with an increase of 21,664 in employment and a decrease of 5,886 in unemployment.

The labor force participation rate was 68.1 percent, down from 68.2 percent in March and up from 67.8 percent last April.

Information on procedures for producing Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), e.g., labor force, estimates is available on the BLS website here. Procedures for producing Current Employment Statistics (CES), e.g., nonfarm jobs, estimates are available on the BLS website here.

For more information on the unemployment insurance program including tax and claims data please refer to the KDOL Unemployment Insurance Weekly Review.

The May 2016 Labor Report will be released on Friday, June 17 .