Local jobless rates came down significantly in the latest report from the Kansas Department of Labor.
Emporia’s jobless rate went down from 6 percent in August to 4.9 percent in September. Lyon County had a similar percentage drop, from 5.6 to 4.6 percent.
The numbers are still elevated from being just above 3 percent for both entities a year ago, reflecting spikes seen for much of this year after Tyson Foods began winding down all its local operations 12 months ago and several other businesses followed suit into early this year.
All area counties had declines in their jobless rates ranging from 0.3 percent to nearly a full percentage point. Morris County has the area’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.1 percent. Aside from Lyon County, Coffey County has the area high at 4.3 percent.
The September report is being announced this week instead of October because of a lapse in federal funding during the government shutdown earlier this fall, suspending the state’s Bureau of Labor Statistics operations from October 1 into mid-November. The November jobless report will be divulged in early January. There will be no separate report for October.
