Unemployment rates remain low across the KVOE listening area and across the state of Kansas.
At the state level, the jobless rate remained flat at 2.5 percent between February and March. The March rate was a full percentage point lower than it was a year ago.
One interesting component in the monthly report was a look at wages and inflation pressures. Here’s Kansas Department of Labor economist Nathan Kessler:
Locally, Emporia’s jobless rate climbed slightly between February and March, going from 2.3 percent to 2.6 percent. Lyon County’s rate went from 2.4 percent to 2.6 percent. Both were at 3.2 percent a year ago.
Areawide, trends were more mixed with Chase, Osage and Wabaunsee counties all seeing modest increases, Greenwood and Morris counties seeing small declines and Coffey County’s jobless rate remaining flat. Morris County now has the area’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.2 percent. Coffey County has the highest at 3.3 percent.
