TOPEKA – Preliminary unemployment estimates indicate the Kansas economy is making strides forward, even amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Kansas Department  of Labor reported last Friday.

The KDOL’s Labor Market Information Services division and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.3% in October. This was a decrease from 5.9% in September and an increase from 3.1% in October 2019.

Barton County posted a rate of 4.1%, below the state average, compared to 4.4% in September and 2.7% in October 2019. Broken down even more, of a civilian labor force of 14,339, 586 were without a job.

“The October report shows that Kansas has continued to make an economic recovery during the pandemic,” said Acting Secretary Ryan Wright. “We have seen an increase in the number of jobs and those employed in the labor force, along with another drop in the unemployment rate which decreased to 5.3 percent in October.” 

Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 7,200 from September. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 5,900 from the previous month, while government increased by 1,300.

“October estimates show Kansas added jobs over-the-month and the state has now recovered 54.6% of nonfarm jobs lost in March and April,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “The professional and business services and leisure and hospitality industries saw the largest increases in October, with each industry adding more than 2,500 jobs.”

Since October 2019, Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have declined by 53,000. This change is due to a decrease of 41,300 private sector jobs and 11,700 government jobs.

Since October 2019, Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have declined by 53,000. This change is due to a decrease of 41,300 private sector jobs and 11,700 government jobs.    

BLS revised seasonally adjusted preliminary total nonfarm jobs estimates for September upward by 1,300 jobs, from 1,360,400 to 1,361,700. Seasonally adjusted private sector jobs were revised upward by 1,500 jobs, from 1,113,100 to 1,114,600. 

Nationally, the unemployment rate declined by 1.0 percentage point over the month to 6.9 percent but was 3.3 points higher than in October 2019, the BLS reported. Unemployment rates were lower in October in 37 states and the District of Columbia, higher in eight states, and stable in five states.

Forty-seven states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier and three states had little or no change.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 32 states, decreased in two states, and was essentially unchanged in 16 states and the District of Columbia in October 2020, according to the BLS. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 48 states and the District and was essentially unchanged in two states.

The November 2020 Labor Report will be released on Friday, Dec. 18.