Wichita area unemployment rate falls to 5.2 percent

The Wichita area unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent in September, down from 5.7 percent in August.

The rate, which was not seasonally adjusted, equals the lowest rate in Wichita area since the recession.

But what would seem to be good news is a bit more complicated. Most of the reason for the drop in September is a continued fall of the number of people who are unemployed, but searching work. The number of people actually working has risen very slowly since it hit bottom several years ago.

People stop looking for work for a number of reasons, including retiring, becoming discouraged, taking medical disability or going back to school. Those not searching for work are not counted in the unemployment statistics and can make the unemployment rate lower.

The unemployment rate is based on a survey of households and tends to be more inclusive, adding in sole proprietorships and unpaid family jobs.

A second survey, of employers, is slightly more encouraging. The number of Wichita area jobs was up about 1,000 jobs, to 290,200, from a month ago on a not-seasonally-adjusted basis. That job figure is up about 12,500 jobs – or about 4.4 percent – from the area’s worst month, July 2011.

The not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in Kansas was 4.4 percent. In other cities, the not-seasonally-adjusted rate was: Lawrence, 4.0 percent; Manhattan, 4.0 percent; Topeka, 4.6 percent; the Kansas side of Kansas City, 4.7 percent.

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Wichita area unemployment rate falls to 5.2 percent."