In Kansas in December 2023, the labor force fell, the number of jobs fell, and the unemployment rate fell when compared to the previous month, all by small amounts. Over the year, Kansas is far below the middle of the states in job growth.
Data released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a slightly declining employment picture in Kansas for December 2023 when compared to the previous month.
(Click charts and tables for larger versions.)
Using seasonally adjusted data, from November 2023 to December 2023, nonfarm employment in Kansas fell by 300 jobs (0.0 percent). Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for December 2023 was higher by 11,400 (0.8 percent) over the same month last year. This is using seasonally adjusted data.
Over the year (December 2022 to December 2023), the Kansas labor force grew by 11,111 people (0.7 percent) using seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, with a decline of 2,545 (0.2 percent) over the last month.
When ChatGPT looked at this table, it concluded:
For December 2023, the employment situation in Kansas can be summarized as follows:
- Labor Force: The labor force slightly decreased from 1,519,456 in November 2023 to 1,516,911 in December 2023, a drop of 2,545 people or 0.2%. However, compared to December 2022, there was an increase of 11,111 people or 0.7%. This indicates a small decline in the number of people working or actively looking for work in the short term, but an overall increase over the year.
Unemployed Persons: The number of unemployed persons decreased from 43,728 in November to 43,004 in December, a reduction of 724 people or 1.7%. Compared to December 2022, there were 864 fewer unemployed persons, showing a 2.0% decrease. This suggests an improvement in employment conditions over the year.
Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate slightly decreased from 2.9% in November to 2.8% in December 2023. Over the year, from December 2022 to December 2023, the rate decreased by 0.1%, which is a 3.4% reduction in the unemployment rate. This indicates a marginal improvement in the job market.
Nonfarm Employment: Nonfarm employment saw a very small decrease from 1,455,200 in November to 1,454,900 in December, a reduction of 300 jobs. However, comparing December 2022 to December 2023, there was an increase of 11,400 jobs or 0.8%. This shows overall job growth over the year, despite the slight decline at the year’s end.
In plain language, the job situation in Kansas in December 2023 was slightly better than it was a year ago. There were more people working, fewer people unemployed, and a small but positive growth in jobs, especially in sectors other than farming. However, there was a tiny dip in both the labor force and nonfarm employment from November to December 2023, but these changes were very small and might not indicate a significant trend.
There are now 184,200 (14.5 percent) more jobs in Kansas than in April 2020, which is the low point since the pandemic’s start. There are 25,800 (1.8 percent) more jobs than in February 2020, just before the pandemic. These are counts of nonfarm jobs with employers in Kansas, without regard to the residence of the employee.
Considering employed people from the household survey, there are now 162,634 (12.4 percent) more working people in Kansas than in April 2020, and 15,631 (1.1 percent) more than in February 2020. The household survey counts Kansas residents with nonfarm jobs, without regard to the location of the job.
Comparing Kansas to the nation: Using seasonal data, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 0.79 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 1.75 percent higher. Non-seasonal data shows the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs is 1.06 percent higher than 12 months ago, while nationally, the same statistic is 1.61 percent higher.
When ChatGPT examined this table of not seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, it concluded:
For December 2023, focusing only on the Kansas employment data, here’s a straightforward summary and analysis:
- Labor Force: The number of people either working or actively looking for work decreased slightly from December 2022 to December 2023, dropping by 5,953, or 0.4%. This suggests a small reduction in the overall workforce.
Unemployed Persons: The number of unemployed people significantly decreased by 6,318, or 17.1%, from December 2022 to December 2023. This is a notable improvement, indicating fewer people were without jobs.
Unemployment Rate: Corresponding to the decrease in unemployed persons, the unemployment rate also dropped from 2.4% in December 2022 to 2.0% in December 2023, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points or 16.7%. This shows a substantial improvement in employment conditions.
Nonfarm Employment: Employment in sectors other than farming increased by 15,300 jobs, or 1.1%, from December 2022 to December 2023. This indicates positive job growth in most industries.
In plain language, the job market in Kansas in December 2023 was healthier than it was a year ago. There were fewer people out of work, and the unemployment rate dropped significantly. Additionally, there was a decent increase in jobs, particularly in non-farming sectors. However, there was a slight decrease in the overall labor force, which could mean fewer people were looking for work.
To learn more about this data and what the employer and household surveys measure, see Visualization: Employment measures. Also, see Counting jobs in Kansas.
Click charts and tables for larger versions.
Chart 1a shows job changes for Kansas and the nation from the previous month, and we can see both positive and changes for Kansas over the past year. The trend in recent months is down.
Chart 1b shows job changes for Kansas and the nation from the same month one year ago. Growth in Kansas has been similar to the nation except for the last six months, when the growth rate Kansas has been less than the nation.
In Chart 3, showing unemployment rates for Kansas and the nation, we see that the rate in Kansas is lower than the national rate, as it had been before the pandemic. The unemployment rate in Kansas is little changed over the last year.
Chart 2a shows monthly changes in the labor force for Kansas and the nation. The Kansas labor force has both expanded and contracted since the pandemic, as has the national labor force.
For industry groups, chart 6b shows the number of employees in various industries in December 2022 and December 2023.
Chart 6a uses the same data but shows the percent change for the same period. When I asked ChatGPT about this data, it provided this analysis:
Based on the year-over-year percentage change in employment for different industries in Kansas, here’s a comparison for December:
- Industries with Growth:
- Construction: Increased by 1.93%.
- Information: Increased by 3.87%.
- Education and Health Services: Increased by 3.56%.
- Leisure and Hospitality: Increased by 1.50%.
- Other Services: Increased by 1.40%.
- Government: Increased by 3.26%.
- Industries with Decline:
- Manufacturing: Decreased by 1.85%.
- Trade, Transportation, and Utilities: Decreased by 0.26%.
- Financial Activities: Decreased by 0.13%.
- Professional and Business Services: Decreased by 2.56%.
- Industries with No Change:
- Mining and Logging: No change (0%).
- Overall Employment:
- Total Nonfarm: Increased by 0.79%.
- Total Private: Increased by 0.27%.
The rate of job growth in Kansas over the year had been good compared to other states, but now Kansas ranks forty-fifth among the states and the District of Columbia. The following chart shows the monthly and annual change in the number of jobs in the states and DC, along with the rank.
The report for this month from the Kansas Department of Labor is here. The report from BLS may be found here. It appears there are no news releases or social media posts from Governor Kelly on this topic.
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