Sedgwick County unemployment rate fell in May, but is well above year-ago numbers
The unemployment rate in Kansas fell nearly two percentage points in May from its April high and fell four percentage points in Sedgwick County, as the economy began a phased reopening in early May and full opening in some counties later in the month.
Although the statewide and county unemployment rates fell, both remained unusually high. While the state saw an increase in most employment sectors compared to April, government employees saw job losses.
Kansas’ unemployment rate in May was 10%, according to the state Department of Labor — down from a high of 11.9% in April. The unemployment rate in Kansas in May 2019, however, was 3.1%.
In Sedgwick County, the unemployment rate in May was at 14.7%, higher than the state’s rate, according to the KDOL. It was a decrease from the county’s April rate of 18.7%. In May 2019, Sedgwick County’s unemployment rate was at 3.3%.
In April, Sedgwick County was tied with Wilson County as having the highest unemployment rate in Kansas, state labor department figures show. In May, Sedgwick County unemployment remained the highest in the state, while Wilson County dropped to 9.7%.
Kansas job estimates indicate nonfarm jobs increased 24,200 from April, while government jobs decreased by 5,300, according to the KDOL.
All Kansas counties remained in phase one of Gov. Laura Kelly’s reopening plan from May 4 to May 17. In Sedgwick County, restrictions on businesses were lifted May 27, when county commissioners opted not to place any restrictions on business to control the spread of COVID-19. The county’s decision came a day after Kelly shifted responsibility for coronavirus prevention to counties.
“During Governor Kelly’s response to stop the spread of COVID-19, preliminary estimates show Kansas took a step in the right direction in May,” said labor secretary Delia Garcia. “The state gained over 24,000 jobs compared to last month. This follows historic job losses seen across the nation in March and April due to COVID-19.”
The preliminary May estimates show Kansas gained back 17% of the jobs it lost in March and April due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on business, senior labor economist Tyler Tenbrink said in a news release from the state labor department.
The May unemployment rate in neighboring Missouri was 10.1% and it was 10.2% in Colorado, both similar to Kansas’ number.
Nearby Nebraska, on the other hand, had the lowest unemployment rate in the country in May at 5.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To the south, workers in Oklahoma experienced a higher unemployment rate of 12.6% in May, BLS figures show.
This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 3:11 PM.
