The state’s December seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, unchanged from November and decreased from 4.2 percent in December 2014.
Manhattan’s unemployment rate was 2.5 percent, up from 2.3 percent in November. Junction City also saw a slight increase, up to 5 percent from 4.9 percent in November. Pottawatomie County also saw an increase, up 3.1 percent from 2.8 percent in the previous month.
Seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 9,400 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.8 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 6,900, or 0.5 percent, since December 2014.
Since last month, Kansas gained 1,800 seasonally adjusted private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. The state gained 2,000 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs since November 2015, or 0.1 percent. Not seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 9,300 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.8 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 6,800, a 0.5 percent increase since December 2014. Since November, private sector jobs decreased by 1,600, or 0.1 percent.
The state lost 3,600 total nonfarm jobs over the month, or 0.3 percent.
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December was 3.6 percent, up from 3.5 percent in November and down from 3.8 percent one year ago.
There were 16,979 initial claims for unemployment benefits in December 2015, up from 13,344 in November and down from 18,577 in December 2014. There were 66,444 continued claims in December, up from 63,370 the previous month and down from 97,398 in December 2014.
Employers in Kansas filed 4,240 workers compensation accident reports in December 2015, down from 4,383 in November, and down from 4,267 in December 2014. There were 52,124 workers compensation accident reports filed in 2015, down from 54,988 in 2014.
