Unemployment numbers for the Manhattan metropolitan area are up slightly from the month before, but still lower than last year at this same time. The Manhattan metro area includes Riley, Pottawatomie,and Geary Counties and shows a 5.1 percent unemployment rate for the month of July–up a couple of tenths from June’s 4.9 percent number. Last year’s unemployment rate for the metro area was 5.9 percent.
The city of Manhattan by itself had a 4.5 percent unemployment rate, also up a couple of tenths from the month before but down from last year’s 4.9 percent.
The Manhattan metro area is tied with the Lawrence metro area, which includes Douglas County, for the lowest unemployment rate in the state. Manhattan by itself is the fourth lowest in the state, following Leawood, Dodge City, and Garden City.
Area counties and their rates include Riley County with 4.8 percent, Pottawatomie with five percent, Geary County’s six percent, and Clay County’s 4.5 percent. All area counties, with the exception of Geary, were up from the June 2014 numbers.
