By Trish Svoboda

Governor Laura Kelly announced in a release that Kansas had the highest employment rate in the state’s history. Data released from the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) showed nine of the top 10 employment months took place in 2023, making it an all-time high.

Currently, Governor Kelly noted that the state boasts a labor force exceeding 1.5 million, with over 1.4 million actively engaged in the workforce. The state’s labor force participation rate is well above the national average.

“Hard-working Kansans have been the force behind our strong economic growth as a state,” Kelly said. “Now, we must continue to recruit more people to move here and more Kansans to join the workforce in order to keep up with the great job opportunities being created across the state.”

According to KDOL data, the state has maintained an unemployment rate at or below 5%, which many economists consider as full employment, for the past 38 consecutive months.