Unemployment was up statewide between November and December according to Kansas Department of Labor Economist Emily Doerksen.
The latest labor market report also showed an uptick in unemployment portions of the KVOE listening area. In Emporia, unemployment rose from 3.4 percent in November to 3.8 percent in December. As has been reported regularly the last two months, Emporia had several business closures in December, notably announcements from Tyson in the industry sector and Holiday Resort in the service sector. Other closure announcements — Thermal Ceramics in industry and Bling and Buckle in retail — came earlier this month.
For Lyon County unemployment rose from 3.3 percent to 3.6 percent month to month. Chase County had the largest increase in unemployment going from 2.9 percent in November to 3.4 percent in December.
Coffey County had the smallest increase going from 3.6 to 3.9. Elsewhere in the KVOE listening area, unemployment declined between the months with Morris County noting the sharpest drop from 3.2 to 2.6.
Greenwood, Osage and Wabaunsee counties also saw unemployment decline to close out the previous calendar year.
