National employment declined 4.3 percent in 2009. Year-over-year employment has been increasing since July 2010. At the same time, continued unemployment claims remain elevated, and housing and mortgage markets continue to falter.
Kansas has fared better than the nation throughout the recession. The Kansas unemployment rate peaked at 7.9 percent in July 2009, while total employment troughed in January 2010 at 1.303 million. Year-over-year employment has been increasing since July 2010 leading to a lowering of the unemployment rate. The preliminary unemployment rate in November 2010 was 6.7 percent, up slightly from the previous month. Kansas employment is on track to decrease 1 percent in 2010, after declining 3.3 percent in 2009.
To read the complete 2011 forecast revision for Kansas, click here.