By Trish Svoboda

The Labor Market Information Services (LMIS) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have released preliminary estimates showing a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.7% in February. This marks a slight rise from January’s 2.6%, but a decrease from February 2023’s 2.8%.

According to seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas, total nonfarm payroll employment, which includes both private sector and government employers, increased by 3,600 from January. The private sector saw an increase of 3,800 jobs over the month, while government jobs decreased by 200.

In February, Kansas employers added jobs, with the total nonfarm job estimates increasing by 3,600. The most significant gains were seen in the construction and leisure and hospitality industries, each adding more than 1,000 jobs.

Comparing year-on-year data, since February 2023, Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 13,000. This increase is attributed to an addition of 8,700 private sector jobs and 4,300 government jobs.