Editor's note: The Kansas Department of Labor did not publish separate reports for the October and November due to the government shutdown.
Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information (LMI) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.8% in November. This is unchanged from 3.8% in September and unchanged from 3.8% in November 2024. The labor force participation rate for Kansas increased to 67.4% in November.
The unemployment rate in Riley County is down from 3.3 percent in September to 2.5 percent in November. The rate in Geary County dropped from 4.5 percent in September to 4 percent. The rate is also down significantly in Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 3,800 from October. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 3,800 over the month, while government remained unchanged. The largest job gains in the private sector were in trade, transportation, and utilities (+1,500 jobs). The largest decrease was in leisure and hospitality (-300 jobs).
Since November 2024 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 3,500. This change is due to an increase of 5,400 private sector jobs and a decrease of 1,900 government jobs.
Technical Note:This release includes nonfarm jobs and labor force estimates for November 2025, which are produced using data from two monthly surveys. Data for nonfarm job estimates is collected through a survey of employers while the main input for labor force estimates is a survey of households. Data collected for this report references the week including November 12.