Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area Employment, JOLTS · Kansas
How is the job market in Kansas?
The unemployment rate in Kansas was 3.8% in the month ended , against 4.2% for the United States.
Kansas, unemployment, each month
- Unemployment rate3.8%2.6% to 12.1%
- Participation rate66.4%66.3% to 68.0%
- Employment-population ratio63.9%58.3% to 65.5%
Kansas, people, each month
- Labor force, thousands1,549.91,485.5 to 1,581.1
- Employed, thousands1,490.31,308.2 to 1,521.1
- Unemployed, thousands59.638.9 to 180.1
Kansas, jobs and pay, each month
- Nonfarm payrolls, thousands1,469.41,270.4 to 1,471.5
- Average hourly earnings$33.06$22.80 to $33.21
- Average weekly hours33.532.3 to 35.2
Kansas, openings and turnover rates, each month
- Job openings rate4.0%3.5% to 7.7%
- Hires rate3.3%2.9% to 5.6%
- Quits rate2.5%1.1% to 3.3%
- Layoffs and discharges rate1.0%0.6% to 8.2%
- Total separations rate3.8%2.3% to 10.3%
Each row is one measure of Kansas over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Kansas, openings and turnover, each month
- Job openings, thousands6151 to 119
- Hires, thousands4941 to 79
- Quits, thousands3714 to 47
- Layoffs and discharges, thousands159 to 117
- Total separations, thousands5530 to 146
Each row is one measure of Kansas over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Right now
The unemployment rate in Kansas was 3.8% in September 2026, ranking 27th highest of 51 among the states and the District of Columbia.
Over a year it is unchanged (ours). The rate for the United States was 4.2% in the same month. The source marks this value preliminary.
The unemployment rate in September 2026 was the lowest since August 2025.
Jobs and payOurs: change and rank
Nonfarm payroll employment was 1,469.4 thousand in September 2026, up 0.3% over a year (ours), 33rd highest of 51.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private payrolls was $33.06 in September 2026, up 4.1% over a year (ours), 39th highest of 51.
Job openings and turnoverOurs: change and rank
The job openings rate was 4.0% in December 2025, down 0.6 percentage points over a year (ours), 24th highest of 51.
The hires rate was 3.3% in December 2025, up 0.2 percentage points over a year (ours), 28th highest of 51.
The quits rate was 2.5% in December 2025, up 0.6 percentage points over a year (ours), 11th highest of 51.
Understanding the labor market of Kansas
Where it stands today
The unemployment rate in Kansas was 3.8% in September 2026.
What do the figures for Kansas measure?
This page gathers the labor market figures of Kansas that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes: how many people are in the labor force, at work and unemployed, how many payroll jobs there are and what they pay, and how many jobs are open and how many people were hired, quit or lost a job.
Read more
The unemployment figures come from Local Area Unemployment Statistics, a model that BLS runs for each state every month. The payroll jobs, hours and earnings come from a monthly survey of employers, and the job openings and labor turnover from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
What 500metrics adds: each figure's rank among the fifty states and the District of Columbia, its change over a year, the last time it was higher and lower, the nation's figure beside a rate where BLS gives one, and the last ten years of every figure as small charts.
The numbers behind the chart
What are the latest figures for Kansas?19 measures, each in its own newest month
| Measure | Section | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank | United States | Last higher | Last lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment | 3.8% | 0.0 pts | 27 of 51 | 4.2% | |||
| Participation rate | Unemployment | 66.4% | −1.6 pts | 7 of 51 | 61.8% | |||
| Employment-population ratio | Unemployment | 63.9% | −1.6 pts | 7 of 51 | 59.2% | |||
| Labor force | People | 1,549.9 thousand | −1.8% | 33 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Employed | People | 1,490.3 thousand | −1.9% | 33 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Unemployed | People | 59.6 thousand | +0.2% | 32 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Nonfarm payrolls | Jobs and pay | 1,469.4 thousand | +0.3% | 33 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average hourly earnings | Jobs and pay | $33.06 | +4.1% | 39 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average weekly hours | Jobs and pay | 33.5 hours | −0.6% | 33 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Job openings rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.0% | −0.6 pts | 24 of 51 | 4.0% | |||
| Hires rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.3% | +0.2 pts | 28 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Quits rate | Openings and turnover rates | 2.5% | +0.6 pts | 11 of 51 | 2.0% | |||
| Layoffs and discharges rate | Openings and turnover rates | 1.0% | −0.1 pts | 19 of 51 | 1.1% | |||
| Total separations rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.8% | +0.7 pts | 10 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Job openings | Openings and turnover | 61 thousand | −12.9% | 31 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Hires | Openings and turnover | 49 thousand | +6.5% | 33 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Quits | Openings and turnover | 37 thousand | +32.1% | 29 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Layoffs and discharges | Openings and turnover | 15 thousand | −6.3% | 31 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Total separations | Openings and turnover | 55 thousand | +19.6% | 31 of 51 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What is the unemployment rate in each county of Kansas?105 counties, September 2026, by name
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen County | 4.7% | 3.9% | +0.8 pts |
| Anderson County | 3.8% | 3.6% | +0.2 pts |
| Atchison County | 3.7% | 3.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Barber County | 3.2% | 3.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Barton County | 3.9% | 3.6% | +0.3 pts |
| Bourbon County | 5.5% | 4.9% | +0.6 pts |
| Brown County | 3.9% | 4.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Butler County | 3.9% | 3.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Chase County | 4.8% | 3.7% | +1.1 pts |
| Chautauqua County | 5.5% | 5.1% | +0.4 pts |
| Cherokee County | 3.8% | 3.6% | +0.2 pts |
| Cheyenne County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Clark County | 3.0% | 2.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Clay County | 3.5% | 3.2% | +0.3 pts |
| Cloud County | 3.0% | 3.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Coffey County | 4.4% | 4.2% | +0.2 pts |
| Comanche County | 3.2% | 3.0% | +0.2 pts |
| Cowley County | 4.1% | 4.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Crawford County | 4.0% | 3.8% | +0.2 pts |
| Decatur County | 3.2% | 3.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Dickinson County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Doniphan County | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Douglas County | 3.6% | 3.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Edwards County | 3.2% | 3.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Elk County | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.0 pts |
Show 80 more rows
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County | 3.1% | 3.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Ellsworth County | 3.0% | 3.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Finney County | 3.0% | 2.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Ford County | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Franklin County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Geary County | 5.0% | 4.5% | +0.5 pts |
| Gove County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Graham County | 4.2% | 4.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Grant County | 3.4% | 4.0% | −0.6 pts |
| Gray County | 2.6% | 2.4% | +0.2 pts |
| Greeley County | 2.9% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Greenwood County | 4.4% | 4.2% | +0.2 pts |
| Hamilton County | 2.5% | 2.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Harper County | 3.4% | 3.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Harvey County | 3.6% | 3.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Haskell County | 3.0% | 2.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Hodgeman County | 2.8% | 3.6% | −0.8 pts |
| Jackson County | 3.3% | 3.0% | +0.3 pts |
| Jefferson County | 3.6% | 3.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Jewell County | 4.3% | 4.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Johnson County | 3.7% | 3.4% | +0.3 pts |
| Kearny County | 3.3% | 3.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Kingman County | 2.9% | 3.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Kiowa County | 3.2% | 3.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Labette County | 3.9% | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Lane County | 4.5% | 4.2% | +0.3 pts |
| Leavenworth County | 4.2% | 3.9% | +0.3 pts |
| Lincoln County | 4.0% | 3.8% | +0.2 pts |
| Linn County | 4.7% | 4.4% | +0.3 pts |
| Logan County | 2.8% | 2.6% | +0.2 pts |
| Lyon County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Marion County | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Marshall County | 3.4% | 3.1% | +0.3 pts |
| McPherson County | 3.1% | 2.9% | +0.2 pts |
| Meade County | 3.1% | 3.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Miami County | 3.8% | 3.5% | +0.3 pts |
| Mitchell County | 3.5% | 3.8% | −0.3 pts |
| Montgomery County | 4.4% | 4.1% | +0.3 pts |
| Morris County | 3.2% | 3.0% | +0.2 pts |
| Morton County | 3.6% | 3.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Nemaha County | 2.8% | 2.7% | +0.1 pts |
| Neosho County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Ness County | 2.4% | 2.7% | −0.3 pts |
| Norton County | 2.9% | 3.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Osage County | 3.8% | 3.6% | +0.2 pts |
| Osborne County | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Ottawa County | 3.1% | 3.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Pawnee County | 3.2% | 3.0% | +0.2 pts |
| Phillips County | 3.5% | 3.4% | +0.1 pts |
| Pottawatomie County | 3.4% | 3.1% | +0.3 pts |
| Pratt County | 3.4% | 3.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Rawlins County | 2.6% | 2.8% | −0.2 pts |
| Reno County | 3.9% | 3.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Republic County | 3.2% | 3.0% | +0.2 pts |
| Rice County | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Riley County | 3.6% | 3.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Rooks County | 3.4% | 3.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Rush County | 3.2% | 3.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Russell County | 3.5% | 3.5% | 0.0 pts |
| Saline County | 3.4% | 3.2% | +0.2 pts |
| Scott County | 2.9% | 3.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Sedgwick County | 4.1% | 3.9% | +0.2 pts |
| Seward County | 3.7% | 3.2% | +0.5 pts |
| Shawnee County | 4.0% | 3.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Sheridan County | 2.2% | 2.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Sherman County | 3.3% | 3.6% | −0.3 pts |
| Smith County | 3.2% | 3.2% | 0.0 pts |
| Stafford County | 2.9% | 3.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Stanton County | 3.5% | 3.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Stevens County | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Sumner County | 4.0% | 3.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Thomas County | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Trego County | 3.0% | 3.4% | −0.4 pts |
| Wabaunsee County | 3.5% | 3.5% | 0.0 pts |
| Wallace County | 3.7% | 3.4% | +0.3 pts |
| Washington County | 3.2% | 3.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Wichita County | 2.8% | 2.7% | +0.1 pts |
| Wilson County | 4.8% | 4.5% | +0.3 pts |
| Woodson County | 4.6% | 4.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Wyandotte County | 4.5% | 4.4% | +0.1 pts |
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- The unemployment figures of a state are estimates from a model, not a count. BLS revises the latest months as more data arrive and revises the past years every March.
- The payroll figures are estimates from a survey of employers. BLS revises them twice after the first release and once a year, when it benchmarks them to the count of jobs covered by unemployment insurance. Average hourly earnings and average weekly hours are for all employees on private payrolls and are not seasonally adjusted.
- The state figures of job openings and labor turnover come from a survey whose estimates for a single state have a larger sampling error than the nation's. Each figure shows its own newest month, which can be older than the month of the unemployment rate.
- A rank is among the fifty states and the District of Columbia in the same month, highest value first, and a large state ranks high on a count of people or jobs. The changes, the ranks and the months a figure was last higher and lower are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes.
- The county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so each county's rate is set beside its own rate a year before.
Observed . Checked .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Current Population Survey; State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey), labor market of Kansas, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How is the job market in Kansas?", https://500metrics.com/states/kansas.
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