Cloud County's Unemployment Rate Up Slightly in August

Jobs numbers released this month by the Kansas Department of Labor show Cloud County's unemployment rate edged up slightly in August to 3.4 percent.  The county's unemployment rate is well above the statewide average.

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.7 percent in August.  This is unchanged from 2.7 percent in July and a decrease from 2.8 percent in August 2022.

Officials say Cloud County has a labor force of 3,659, with 3,534 people employed and 125 people unemployed.

Elsewhere in North Central Kansas, Mitchell County and Republic County had the lowest unemployment rates in the region at 2.5 percent.  Washington County had an unemployment rate of 2.6 percent.  Ottawa County had an unemployment rate of 3.0 percent.  Clay County had an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent.  Jewell County had the highest unemployment rate in the region at 3.7 percent.

Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen says seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 4,100 from July.  Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers.  Private sector jobs decreased by 2,700 over the month, while government decreased by 1,400.

Since August 2022, Kansas' seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 18,000.  This change is due to an increase of 13,600 private sector jobs and an increase of 4,400 government jobs.