Highlights

• According to April 2008 estimates, Kansas businesses added 9,400 jobs in the last year, a 0.7 percent increase. All metropolitan areas and six of 11 major industry sectors added jobs during the year.
  
  
• The greatest gains occurred in the professional and business services industry sector, which reported an additional 4,000 jobs over the year. The majority of these new jobs were in the administrative support services sector which includes temporary service agencies.
  
  
• Government, specifically local government, added 2,900 jobs in the last year a 1.1 percent increase.
  
  
• Manufacturing added 2,200 jobs in the last year, a 1.2 percent increase. The majority of these new jobs were reported in the Aerospace Production sector.
  
  
• The April unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, down from 4.4 percent last month and 3.7 percent last year. Kansas’ unemployment rate continues to remain below the national average which was 5.0 percent in April.
  
  

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 Daniel Nibarger (nī´ bär gər)
"The labor market in Kansas added jobs over the last year at a higher rate than the nation, however the effects of the national slow down may be affecting Kansas by lowering the rate of growth. One industry in which we have noticed a decline in employment is the Construction industry. This could be due to general uncertainty in the economy and possible tightening of credit markets. Winter weather lasting longer than expected may have also played a role in the declines experienced in the construction industry."

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Audio clip for radio stations by Sue Henke, KDOL spokesperson
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