Both the Kansas and Sedgwick County employment‐population ratio declined substantially in the 2008 recession. The Kansas ratio fell by over 2 percentage points during the recession, which was less than the national average. Meanwhile, the Sedgwick County ratio fell by over 7 percentage points during the recession and shortly afterwards, a larger drop than the national average.In 2014, the Kansas employment‐population ratio rose to 65.1 percent, its highest level since 2010, due to strong employment growth. This is a one percentage point increase from its lowest level in 2013, but the ratio is still 2.3 percentage points below its pre‐recession peak.
The Sedgwick County employment‐population ratio also increased slightly throughout 2014, following a decline in 2013. In 2013, the Sedgwick County ratio was the lowest it had been since 1990. Even after the improvement throughout 2014, the ratio still remains over 7 percentage points below its pre‐recession peak.