TOPEKA — According to state labor agencies, the Kansas unemployment rate increased by 0.5 percentage points over the past year, falling in the middle range of increases reported in a five-state region that included Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Oklahoma experienced the smallest expansion of joblessness, while Colorado saw the largest growth in unemployment among the five states.
Kansas Secretary of Labor, Amber Shultz, reported that the state added 17,900 total nonfarm jobs in the past year, with 15,300 in the private sector and 2,600 in government jobs. The average hourly pay for private-sector workers in Kansas increased by 5.2% to $30.61, resulting in a 2.6% increase in purchasing power for Kansans.
The seasonally adjusted Kansas unemployment rate was 3.1% in June, higher than the previous months. From May to June, nonfarm employment in Kansas increased by 7,600, with more jobs added in the government sector than in the private sector.
The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June was 4.1%, up 0.1 percentage points from May and up 0.5 percentage points from June 2023. Despite the increase in Kansas unemployment, neighboring states like Nebraska saw job growth, with Omaha adding the most jobs compared to a year ago.
Overall, the job market in the region remains dynamic, with fluctuations in the unemployment rates and job growth varying from state to state.
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