Department of Numbers

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Wichita rose 0.1 percentage points in August 2021 to 5.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.5 percentage points higher than the Kansas rate. The unemployment rate in Wichita peaked in April 2020 at 19.2% and is now 13.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.0% in April 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare Wichita unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate August 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 5.2% -0.2 -3.2
Kansas 3.8% 0.0 -2.4
Wichita 5.3% +0.1 -3.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with August 2021 data as September metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Wichita, Kansas, National

Wichita, Kansas monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Wichita, Kansas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Wichita peaked in April 2020 at 63,413. There are now 46,536 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 15,819 in May 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,058. Wichita employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Wichita, Kansas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons August 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Wichita 16,877 +101 -12,427

Number of Unemployed Persons

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Kansas
Unemployment Rate		 Wichita
Unemployment Rate		 Wichita
Unemployed
September
2021		 4.8% — — —
August
2021		 5.2% 3.8% 5.3% 16,877
July
2021		 5.4% 3.8% 5.2% 16,776
June
2021		 5.9% 3.7% 5.1% 16,317
May
2021		 5.8% 3.5% 5.0% 15,819
April
2021		 6.1% 3.5% 5.0% 16,048
March
2021		 6.0% 3.7% 5.4% 17,231
February
2021		 6.2% 3.8% 6.0% 19,166
January
2021		 6.3% 3.4% 7.9% 25,800
December
2020		 6.7% 4.7% 5.1% 16,113
November
2020		 6.7% 4.7% 5.6% 17,854
October
2020		 6.9% 4.7% 6.3% 20,073

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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