The unemployment rates were just released for Manhattan and the surrounding counties, and the Manhattan metro area rates have dropped compared to the previous month and are among the lowest in the state.
The Manhattan metro area, which includes the counties of Pottawatomie, Riley, and Geary had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent compared to 5.8 percent in the month of August and 5.9 percent in September of 2011.
Manhattan city alone shows a unemployment rate of 3.8 percent for September and that is down from 4.9 percent for August as well as from September of 2011 when it was also 4.9 percent.
As far as the individual counties go, Geary county’s rates dropped from 8.0 percent in August to 6.5 percent in September. It is also down from September of last year when it was 8.2 percent.
Riley county had a significant drop as well going from 5.1 percent in August of this year and 5.0 percent in September of 2011 to just 3.9 percent in September 2012.
Finally, Pottawatomie county continues the trend of falling unemployment rates; boasting a 4.3 percent rate for September 2012 compared to a 5.6 percent rate in August of this year and a 5.4 percent rate in September of 2011.