Jobless rates for Emporia and Lyon County climbed from June to July.
The Kansas Department of Labor has Emporia’s jobless rate now at 5.4 percent, up from 5.1 percent in June. Lyon County’s rate is now at 5.4 percent, up from an even 5 percent.
Emporia’s unemployment rate for July is now the highest for any Kansas location with a population of at least 25,000 people. Following Emporia on that list are Junction City at 5.2 percent, Leavenworth at 5.1 percent and Kansas City, Kansas, at an even 5 percent.
Lyon County, meanwhile, has the fifth-highest unemployment percentage in the state, following Bourbon County at 6 percent, Geary County at 5.8 percent, Woodson County at 5.7 percent and Elk County at 5.5 percent. Kansas currently has 13 counties with a minimum 5 percent unemployment rate. All of them are in east-central, northeast or southeast Kansas.
However, both the city and county numbers are down from the same time last year after the Tyson shutdown went into full effect. A year ago, Emporia’s jobless rate was 6.5 percent, while Lyon County’s jobless mark was 6 percent.
Areawide, trends varied slightly. Chase and Wabaunsee counties saw modest month-to-month declines, while Coffey, Greenwood and Osage counties had slight increases and Morris County remained flat. Morris County has the lowest area jobless rate at 3.6 percent. Coffey and Greenwood are tied for the highest unemployment rate at 4.8 percent.
