Wichita, Kansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Wichita fell 0.1 percentage points in December 2011 to 7.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.2 percentage points higher than the Kansas rate. The unemployment rate in Wichita peaked in September 2009 at 9.5% and is now 2.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.4% in July 2011, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Wichita unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	8.5%	-0.2	-0.9
Kansas	6.3%	-0.2	-0.5
Wichita	7.5%	-0.1	-1.0

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with December 2011 data as January metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Wichita, Kansas, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Wichita, Kansas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Wichita peaked in September 2009 at 30,253. There are now 6,508 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 23,271 in July 2011, the number of unemployed has now grown by 474. Wichita employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Wichita, Kansas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
Wichita	23,745	-392	-3,054

Number of Unemployed Persons

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Kansas Unemployment Rate	Wichita Unemployment Rate	Wichita Unemployed
January 2012	8.3%	—	—	—
December 2011	8.5%	6.3%	7.5%	23,745
November 2011	8.7%	6.5%	7.6%	24,137
October 2011	8.9%	6.7%	7.8%	24,542
September 2011	9.0%	6.7%	7.7%	24,203
August 2011	9.1%	6.7%	7.5%	23,580
July 2011	9.1%	6.5%	7.4%	23,271
June 2011	9.1%	6.6%	7.7%	24,207
May 2011	9.0%	6.6%	7.9%	24,680
April 2011	9.0%	6.7%	8.2%	25,768
March 2011	8.9%	6.8%	8.4%	26,656
February 2011	9.0%	6.8%	8.5%	26,832
January 2011	9.1%	6.8%	8.5%	26,730