June labor numbers show mixed results for Kansas

The number of people listed as unemployed in Kansas hasn’t changed much, but the private sector saw an uptick in job growth, according to seasonally adjusted June figures released Friday.

The state’s June seasonally adjusted unemployment rate moved to 4.5 percent, up slightly from 4.4 percent in May and unchanged from June 2014, according to the newest Kansas Department of Labor monthly report. The seasonally adjusted numbers, however, show the state has gained 12,300 private sector jobs since last year.

“June was an excellent month for the private sector with a gain of 4,300 seasonally-adjusted jobs,” said Secretary of Labor Lana Gordon in the release. “The last time the state added more than 4,000 jobs in June was in 1994.”

Kansas non-farm jobs increased by 11,500, an 0.8 percent increase since June of last year. The state also added 5,700 seasonally adjusted total non-farm jobs, about a 0.4 percent gain since May.

When not seasonally adjusted, the unemployment rate in June was listed as 4.7 percent, up from 4.4 percent in May and down slightly from 4.8 percent for June 2014. Initial claims for unemployment benefits in June totaled 11,329, which was up significantly from the 9,844 number reported last June. Continued claims, however, were listed as 81,504 for June by the department, down from 87,190 in June 2014.

For the Wichita metropolitan statistical area, which includes Sedgwick, Butler, Kingman, Harvey and Sumner counties, the unemployment rate increase was slightly more significant, jumping from 5 percent in May to 5.2 percent for June. The latest number is still down from 5.5 percent, which was the benchmark for June 2014.

Though the unemployment rate increased slightly, Michael Austin, an economist with the Kansas Department of Revenue, said through his Twitter account Friday morning that the uptick is actually a positive sign for the state.

“Rise of unemployment rate is indicative of increase in retirees and increasing financial security of Kansans,” Austin tweeted through his account, @MichaelofAustin.

Kansas’ unemployment rate has risen slightly every month since March, when the seasonally adjusted figure was 4.2 percent. The state labor report for July is scheduled to be released Aug. 21.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 11:01 AM with the headline "June labor numbers show mixed results for Kansas."