Despite a slight increase in the state’s unemployment rate between September and October, officials with the Kansas Department of Labor are pleased with two trends in the latest monthly report.
The first trend is the 2.8 percent rate last month — above the October rate of 2.6 percent — is below pre-pandemic levels. The second, according to economist Nathan Kessler, is the increase in private-sector jobs.
Locally, Emporia’s jobless rate stayed flat at 2.3 percent. Lyon County’s rate increased from 2.3 to 2.4 percent.
Areawide, Wabaunsee County was the only area county to see a jobless rate decrease. It and Greenwood County now have the area’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.2 percent. All other counties were either flat or had marginal increases month-to-month. Coffey County has the area’s highest unemployment rate at 3.1 percent.
