Manhattan’s latest unemployment rate is up a little from the month before, but down from last year at this same time.
January numbers just released show a 4.6 percent rate for the city of Manhattan, compared to 4.1 percent in December and 5.5 percent in January of last year. Manhattan was on the lower end of unemployment numbers when compared to other cities, although certainly not the lowest. Four other cities had lower or equal rates to Manhattan’s, including Leawood with 3.9 percent, Dodge city with 4 percent, Garden City with 4.2, and Shawnee’s 4.6 percent.
The Manhattan Metro area, which includes Riley, Pottawatomie, and Geary counties, showed a 5.5 percent rate in January, also up from December’s 5.2, but down from last year’s 6.3 percent. The closest metro area was Lawrence with a 5.6 percent rate.
Most area counties also showed an increase, including Riley County’s at 4.8 percent, Pottawatomie at 5.3, and Clay with 4.7 percent. Geary County’s which tends to be higher, was actually down a little, with a 7.4 percent rate.
