Highlights

• According to December 2007 estimates, Kansas businesses added approximately 15,900 jobs in the last year, a 1.1% increase. All metropolitan areas and 8 of 11 major industries added jobs during the year.
  
  
• The Manufacturing and Government industries reported the highest gains over the year, adding 3,700 jobs each. The majority of manufacturing jobs came from the aerospace manufacturing sector in Wichita.
  
  
• Professional and business services industry reported the 2nd largest gain of 3,200 jobs over the year. Most of these gains were in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services sector.
  
  
• The December unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, up from last month, but down slightly from last year. The unemployment rate was 3.7 percent last month and 4.1 percent last year. This month’s rate reflects the possible anomaly from October, whose rate was abnormally low. The Kansas October, November and December unemployment estimates may be revised upward in coming months.
  
  
• Additional note: This is the last month that the Lawrence Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) data will be included with the monthly labor report. Federal funding to the states for the Current Employment Statistics program (CES) has been reduced for fiscal year 2008. To offset these funding reductions the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will no longer provide data for the 65 smallest MSAs nationwide.
  
  

Labor Report Data Bank

Overview        PDF

Unemployment in Kansas and MSAs    PDF       Excel      Historical Data

Nonfarm Jobs in Kansas and MSAs    PDF       Excel      Historical Data

County Unemployment Map    HTML

County Unemployment Rates    PDF       Excel

Quotes

Labor Economist Inayat Noormohmad
"We saw a less than anticipated over-the-month growth in the Retail Trade sector this year. While the sector gained 1,100 jobs over the year and 100 over the month, this was still well below the average monthly increases from November to December. One of the reasons for this may be the harsh winter weather conditions during the month of December in Kansas."
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