Kansas as a whole saw lower unemployment from June to July, although that trend was not seen areawide.
The July unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, down from 7.5 percent in June. Labor Department economist Emilie Doerksen went deeper into the numbers:
Statewide, the jobless rate went above 11 percent in April as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the state. The unemployment hit 10 percent in May before coming down in June.
Locally, Emporia’s jobless rate held virtually flat. It went from 5.9 percent in June to 6 percent in July. Lyon County’s rate also stayed nearly flat, going from 5.7 percent in June to 5.8 percent in July.
Areawide, counties either had flat or rising unemployment. Chase, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties were either level or slightly up from June to July. Coffey and Morris counties were up 0.3 percent, while Greenwood County went up 0.8 percent. Morris County has the lowest area jobless rate at 4.9 percent. Greenwood County has the highest at 7 percent.
