In Kansas for October 2023, the labor force was steady, the number of jobs rose, and the unemployment rate fell 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 mostly steady, but improving, employment picture in Kansas for October 2023 when compared to the previous month.
(Click charts and tables for larger versions.)
Using seasonally adjusted data, from September 2023 to October 2023, nonfarm employment in Kansas rose by 3,200 jobs (0.2 percent). Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for October 2023 was higher by 15,600 (1.1 percent) over the same month last year. This is using seasonally adjusted data.
Over the year (October 2022 to October 2023), the Kansas labor force grew by 15,765 people (1.0 percent) using seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, with a decline of 514 (0.0 percent) over the last month.
When ChatGPT looked at this table, it concluded:
This table presents employment data for the state of Kansas, focusing on several key metrics: the labor force, the number of unemployed persons, the unemployment rate, and nonfarm employment. The data is seasonally adjusted and spans from October 2022 to October 2023, with a specific focus on the changes occurring in these months.
Labor Force:
- October 2022: 1,505,448 people
- October 2023: 1,521,213 people
- Change over the year: An increase of 15,765 people, or 1.0%.
- Notable Trend: There was a slight decrease of 514 people from September to October 2023.
Unemployed Persons:
- October 2022: 44,412 people
- October 2023: 44,090 people
- Change over the year: A decrease of 322 people, or -0.7%.
- Notable Trend: There was an increase in unemployment from August to October 2023, with a significant rise of 1,820 people (4.3%) from September to October 2023.
- Unemployment Rate:
- October 2022: 3.0%
- October 2023: 2.9%
- Change over the year: A decrease of 0.1 percentage points, or -3.3%.
- Notable Trend: The unemployment rate fluctuated slightly but increased from 2.7% in August 2023 to 2.9% in October 2023.
- Nonfarm Employment:
- October 2022: 1,437,500 jobs
- October 2023: 1,453,100 jobs
- Change over the year: An increase of 15,600 jobs, or 1.1%.
- Notable Trend: Steady growth in nonfarm employment over the year, with a modest increase each month.
Overall Analysis:
- The labor force in Kansas slightly increased over the year, indicating a growing number of people either working or looking for work.
- There was a small decrease in the number of unemployed persons over the year, but a notable increase in the latter part of the year, particularly from September to October 2023.
- The unemployment rate remained relatively stable, with a slight decrease over the year, but it showed an increasing trend in the last few months.
- Nonfarm employment saw consistent growth throughout the year, suggesting a steady improvement in job availability in sectors other than farming.
In summary, Kansas’s employment situation over the year from October 2022 to October 2023 shows a growing workforce and job market, with a slight uptick in unemployment towards the end of the period.
There are now 182,400 (14.4 percent) more jobs in Kansas than in April 2020, which is the low point since the pandemic’s start. There are 24,000 (1.7 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 165,850 (12.6 percent) more working people in Kansas than in April 2020, and 18,847 (1.3 percent) more than in February 2020. The household survey counts Kansas residents with nonfarm jobs, without regard to the location of the job.
Comparing Kansas to the nation: Using seasonal data, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 1.09 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 1.89 percent higher. Non-seasonal data shows the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 1.18 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 1.90 percent higher.
When ChatGPT examined this table of not seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, it concluded:
Focusing on October data, the table shows year-to-year changes in Kansas’s employment situation. Between October 2022 and October 2023, the labor force, which includes people working or looking for work, grew by 11,657, a 0.8% increase. This suggests a modest rise in the number of people participating in the job market.
However, the number of unemployed persons, those actively seeking but not finding employment, increased significantly by 6,539, a 16.0% rise. This indicates that despite more people entering the labor force, a larger number were unable to find work.
The unemployment rate, representing the proportion of the labor force that is unemployed, went up from 2.7% to 3.1%, a 14.8% increase. This higher rate reflects the growing number of people who are jobless relative to the total labor force.
Nonfarm employment, which excludes agricultural jobs, also saw an increase, with 17,100 more jobs (a 1.2% rise) compared to the previous year. This points to job growth in sectors other than farming.
In summary, while there was job growth in Kansas, particularly in nonfarm sectors, the increase in the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons indicates that not all those entering the workforce were able to find employment.
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 both positive and changes for Kansas over the past year.
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 four months, when Kansas has been 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 October 2022 and October 2023.
Chart 6a uses the same data but shows the percent change for the same period. All industry groups have gains except for Manufacturing, Financial Activities, and Professional and Business Services.
The rate of job growth in Kansas over the year had been good compared to other states, but now Kansas ranks forty-third 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.
