In Kansas for September 2023, the number of jobs and the labor force rose, and the unemployment rate ticked up slightly when compared to the previous month. Over the year, Kansas is below the middle of the states in job growth.
Data released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a deteriorating employment picture in Kansas for September when compared to the previous month.
(Click charts and tables for larger versions.)
Using seasonally adjusted data, from September 2023 to September 2023, nonfarm employment in Kansas rose by 4,200 jobs (0.3 percent). Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for September 2023 was higher by 22,000 (1.6 percent) over the same month last year. This is using seasonally adjusted data.
Over the year (September 2022 to September 2023), the Kansas labor force grew by 16,412 people (1.1 percent) using seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, with an increase of 865 (0.1 percent) over the last month.
When ChatGPT looked at this table, it concluded:
Labor Force:
- The labor force increased by 16,412 (1.1%) from September 2022 to September 2023.
- There was a slight decrease of 971 (-0.1%) from July 2023 to August 2023, followed by a minor increase of 865 (0.1%) from August 2023 to September 2023.
Unemployed Persons:
- The number of unemployed persons decreased by 1,399 (-3.2%) over the year (Sep-22 to Sep-23).
- There was a negligible increase of 14 (0.0%) from July 2023 to August 2023, and a rise of 536 (1.3%) from August 2023 to September 2023.
Unemployment Rate:
- The unemployment rate decreased by 0.1% (-3.4%) over the year, moving from 2.9% in September 2022 to 2.8% in September 2023.
- The rate remained stable at 2.7% from July 2023 to August 2023 and then increased slightly by 0.1% (3.7%) in September 2023.
Nonfarm Employment:
- Nonfarm employment saw an increase of 22,200 (1.6%) over the year.
- There was a decrease of 1,800 (-0.1%) from July 2023 to August 2023, followed by an increase of 4,200 (0.3%) from August 2023 to September 2023.
Conclusion: The labor force experienced a modest growth, indicating that more people were either working or actively seeking employment. The number of unemployed persons decreased overall, suggesting an improvement in the employment scenario. However, there was a slight uptick in the latter part of the year. The unemployment rate, which is a key indicator of economic health, showed a marginal decline over the year. This indicates a positive trend, although there was a minor increase in the rate by September 2023. Nonfarm employment, which represents a significant portion of total employment, also saw growth over the year. This suggests that industries and sectors outside of agriculture were hiring more, contributing to the overall economic health of the state.
In summary, Kansas’s employment landscape showed positive signs of growth and stability over the year, with a few minor fluctuations in the latter months. The data suggests that the state’s economy was on an upward trajectory during this period.
There are now 178,400 (14.0 percent) more jobs in Kansas than in April 2020, which is the low point since the pandemic’s start. There are 20,000 (0.9 percent) more jobs than in February 2020, just before the pandemic. These are counts of nonfarm jobs with employers in Kansas, without regard to the residence of the employee.
Considering employed people from the household survey, there are now 168,121 (12.8 percent) more working people in Kansas than in April 2020, and 21,118 (1.4 percent) more than in February 2020. The household survey counts Kansas residents with nonfarm jobs, without regard to the location of the job.
The number of unemployed persons grew from September 2023 to September 2023 by 536 persons (1.3 percent). The unemployment rate was 2.8 percent in September 2023, up 0.1 percent from the last month, and down 0.1 percentage point over the year.
Comparing Kansas to the nation: Using seasonal data, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 1.56 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 2.08 percent higher. Non-seasonal data shows the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 1.74 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 2.08 percent higher.
When ChatGPT examined this table of not seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, it concluded:
Labor Force:
- From August 2022 to August 2023, the labor force increased by 11,431 (0.8%).
- A more significant increase of 20,849 (1.4%) was observed from September 2022 to September 2023.
Unemployed Persons:
- The number of unemployed persons rose by 1,707 (3.6%) from August 2022 to August 2023.
- A larger increase of 3,905 (10.2%) was seen from September 2022 to September 2023.
Unemployment Rate:
- The unemployment rate increased slightly from 3.1% in August 2022 to 3.2% in August 2023, a change of 0.1% (3.2%).
- Similarly, the rate went up from 2.6% in September 2022 to 2.8% in September 2023, an increase of 0.2% (7.7%).
Nonfarm Employment:
- Nonfarm employment grew by 19,300 (1.4%) from August 2022 to August 2023.
- A slightly higher growth of 24,800 (1.7%) was observed from September 2022 to September 2023.
The labor force consistently grew, indicating an increase in the number of people working or seeking employment. The number of unemployed persons also increased, suggesting that while the labor force grew, not everyone found employment immediately. The unemployment rate, a critical economic indicator, showed a slight increase over both months compared year-to-year, indicating a minor slowdown in the employment scenario. Nonfarm employment, a significant component of total employment, consistently grew over the year, indicating that sectors outside of agriculture were expanding and hiring more.
In essence, while Kansas’s labor force and nonfarm employment showed positive growth, the increase in the unemployment rate suggests that the state’s employment landscape faced challenges in assimilating the growing labor force effectively.
To learn more about this data and what the employer and household surveys measure, see Visualization: Employment measures. Also, see Counting jobs in Kansas.
Click charts and tables for larger versions.
Chart 1a shows job changes for Kansas and the nation from the previous month, and we can see positive changes for Kansas over the past year except for four months.
Chart 1b shows job changes for Kansas and the nation from the same month one year ago. Growth in Kansas has been similar to the nation except for the last three months, when Kansas was lower than the nation.
In Chart 3, showing unemployment rates for Kansas and the nation, we see that the rate in Kansas is lower than the national rate, as it had been before the pandemic. The unemployment rate in Kansas is little changed over the last nine months.
Chart 2a shows monthly changes in the labor force for Kansas and the nation. The Kansas labor force has both expanded and contracted since the pandemic, as has the national labor force.
For industry groups, the following chart 6b shows the number of employees in various industries in August September and September 2023.
Chart 6a uses the same data but shows the percent change for the same period. All industry groups have gains except for Financial Activities.
The rate of job growth in Kansas over the year had been good compared to other states, but now Kansas ranks thirtieth among the states. The following chart shows the monthly and annual change in the number of jobs in the states, along with the rank of the state.
The report for this month from the Kansas Department of Labor is here. The report from BLS may be found here. It appears there are no news releases or social media posts from Governor Kelly on this topic.
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