In Kansas in December 2024, the labor force rose, the number of jobs was rose, and the unemployment rate rose compared to the previous month, all by modest amounts. Over the year, Kansas is near the midpoint of states in job growth.
Data released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a little changed employment picture in Kansas for December 2024 when compared to the previous month.
(Click charts and tables for larger versions.)
Using seasonally adjusted data, from November 2024 to December 2024, nonfarm employment in Kansas was unchanged. Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for August 2024 was higher by 20,000 (1.4 percent) over the same month last year. This is using seasonally adjusted data.
Over the year (December 2023 to December 2024), the Kansas labor force grew by 17,791 people (1.2 percent) using seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, with increase of 5,310 (0.3 percent) over the last month.
When ChatGPT looked at this table, it concluded:
In December 2024, Kansas’s labor force climbed to about 1.53 million people — up 1.2% over the previous December — while unemployment reached 3.6%. That is a full percentage point higher than a year earlier, as the number of unemployed people rose to roughly 55,600. Despite this, overall employment continued growing: nonfarm employment stood at about 1.47 million jobs, 1.3% above December 2023.
There are now 197,600 (15.6 percent) more jobs in Kansas than in April 2020, which is the low point since the pandemic’s start. There are 38,800 (2.7 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 162,361 (12.4 percent) more working people in Kansas than in April 2020, and 10,481 (0.7 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 1.27 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is also 1.27 percent higher. Non-seasonal data shows the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 1.25 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 1.34 percent higher.
When ChatGPT examined this table of not seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, it concluded:
In December 2024, the Kansas labor force stood at about 1.53 million people — 2.3% higher than a year earlier. The number of unemployed rose to roughly 50,800, pushing the jobless rate from 2.0% in December 2023 up to 3.3%. Despite the higher unemployment, the overall number of nonfarm jobs also increased to around 1.48 million, a 1.3% gain from the previous December.
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. ChatGPT looked at this chart and told me this:
This chart tracks month-to-month changes in nonfarm employment for Kansas and for the United States. In December 2024, both show relatively small changes from the previous month, with the Kansas rate a bit weaker than the national rate. Overall, Kansas’s monthly gains and losses have been more volatile throughout the year compared with the steadier national trend. By December, Kansas had dipped slightly below zero growth, while the United States remained slightly positive.
Chart 1b shows job changes for Kansas and the nation from the same month one year ago. Growth in Kansas is lower than the nation.
ChatGPT looked at this chart and told me this:
This chart shows how Kansas and U.S. nonfarm employment have changed compared to the same month in the previous year. Through 2024, U.S. employment growth eases gently downward from about 2% year-over-year to somewhere around the mid-1% range in December. Kansas’s rate is more erratic, dipping and rising over the year, but still remains in positive territory. By December 2024, Kansas is growing at a slower pace than the U.S. as a whole.
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 and the nation is slowly rising. ChatGPT said: “This chart shows the monthly unemployment rate in Kansas and nationally over the course of 2024. Kansas starts the year well below the national rate, at around 2 percent, and gradually rises toward 3 percent by December. The United States rate sits in the upper 3 percent range throughout the year, ending around 4 percent — still higher than Kansas, but both trending upward overall.”
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, chart 6b shows the number of employees in various industries in December 2023 and December 2024.
Chart 6a uses the same data but shows the percent change for the same period. When I asked ChatGPT about this data, it provided this analysis:
From December 2023 to December 2024 (by percentage change), Construction rose the most at about 4.4 percent, followed by Other Services (3.6 percent), Financial Activities (3.0 percent), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (2.4 percent), Education and Health Services (2.3 percent), Government (2.0 percent), and Mining and Logging (1.6 percent). In contrast, Information saw the largest percentage decline (2.7 percent), with Leisure and Hospitality (1.6 percent), Professional and Business Services (1.1 percent), and Manufacturing (0.5 percent) also down over the year.
Kansas ranks twenty-fifth among the states and the District of Columbia in job growth over the past year, and twenty-first for growth over the past month. The following chart shows the monthly and annual change in the number of jobs in the states and DC, along with the rank.
Chart 8b shows job change state ranks over time. In this example, Kansas is highlighted.
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.
