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PITTSBURG —
The good news for Kansas labor markets is that there was no bad news. The bad news is that there was no good news, either.
The unemployment rate stayed steady both adjusted for seasonal unemployment and not adjusted, at 6.1 and 5.8 percent, respectively. However, those numbers are down from May 2011, at 6.7 and 6.5 percent respectively a year ago.
“The good news in this labor report is that we are markedly improved relative to last year,” said Karin Brownlee, Kansas Secretary of Labor. “Looking from month to month, we seem to be singing ‘second verse, same as the first’ as the changes are very minor.”
Private sector jobs did grow by 10,800 and public sector jobs grew by 5,200. However, economists said these increases are almost entirely driven by seasonal hiring.
“Kansas experienced little change in the labor market from April to May,” said Tyler Tenbrink, KDOL labor economist. “The number of nonfarm jobs has remained basically flat for the fourth consecutive month. This is a trend that is also apparent in the public sector as budget considerations continue to weigh on local, state and federal government.”
Continued unemployment claims fell sharply from close to 200,000 in April to 156,405 in May. The number is drastically lower than May 2011, which had 235,488 continued claims.
In contrast, however, is the 17,832 initial claims for unemployment, up from 14,701 in April but down from 18,708 in May 2011.
Across the state, only three counties have unemployment higher than 8 percent, and two of them are in Southeast Kansas: Wilson County (9.1 percent), Wyandotte County (8.5 percent) and Montgomery County (8.1 percent).
Bourbon and Crawford County’s rates fell a bit, from 6.6 percent each in April to 6.7 percent in May. Other counties in the area largely stayed the same, with Neosho County falling from 7.2 to 6.9 percent and Linn County falling from 9.0 percent to 7.5 percent being the exceptions.
Local unemployment rates
County May 2012 April 2012
Allen 6.2 6.2
Bourbon 6.7 6.6
Cherokee 7.5 7.4
Crawford 6.7 6.6
Greenwood 5.6 5.6
Linn 7.5 9.0
Labette 7.9 7.9
Montgomery 8.1 8.1
Neosho 6.9 7.2
Wilson 9.1 9.1
Woodson 5.9 6.0
Source: Kansas Department of Labor
The good news for Kansas labor markets is that there was no bad news. The bad news is that there was no good news, either.
The unemployment rate stayed steady both adjusted for seasonal unemployment and not adjusted, at 6.1 and 5.8 percent, respectively. However, those numbers are down from May 2011, at 6.7 and 6.5 percent respectively a year ago.
“The good news in this labor report is that we are markedly improved relative to last year,” said Karin Brownlee, Kansas Secretary of Labor. “Looking from month to month, we seem to be singing ‘second verse, same as the first’ as the changes are very minor.”
Private sector jobs did grow by 10,800 and public sector jobs grew by 5,200. However, economists said these increases are almost entirely driven by seasonal hiring.
“Kansas experienced little change in the labor market from April to May,” said Tyler Tenbrink, KDOL labor economist. “The number of nonfarm jobs has remained basically flat for the fourth consecutive month. This is a trend that is also apparent in the public sector as budget considerations continue to weigh on local, state and federal government.”
Continued unemployment claims fell sharply from close to 200,000 in April to 156,405 in May. The number is drastically lower than May 2011, which had 235,488 continued claims.
In contrast, however, is the 17,832 initial claims for unemployment, up from 14,701 in April but down from 18,708 in May 2011.
Across the state, only three counties have unemployment higher than 8 percent, and two of them are in Southeast Kansas: Wilson County (9.1 percent), Wyandotte County (8.5 percent) and Montgomery County (8.1 percent).
Bourbon and Crawford County’s rates fell a bit, from 6.6 percent each in April to 6.7 percent in May. Other counties in the area largely stayed the same, with Neosho County falling from 7.2 to 6.9 percent and Linn County falling from 9.0 percent to 7.5 percent being the exceptions.
Local unemployment rates
County May 2012 April 2012
Allen 6.2 6.2
Bourbon 6.7 6.6
Cherokee 7.5 7.4
Crawford 6.7 6.6
Greenwood 5.6 5.6
Linn 7.5 9.0
Labette 7.9 7.9
Montgomery 8.1 8.1
Neosho 6.9 7.2
Wilson 9.1 9.1
Woodson 5.9 6.0
Source: Kansas Department of Labor
