Department of Numbers

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Wichita fell 0.1 percentage points in February 2021 to 6.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 3.1 percentage points higher than the Kansas rate. The unemployment rate in Wichita peaked in April 2020 at 18.2% and is now 11.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.7% in December 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.6 percentage points. You can also compare Wichita unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Kansas 3.2% -0.2 0.0
Wichita 6.3% -0.1 +2.8
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March 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 61,061. There are now 40,676 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 14,894 in December 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 5,491. Wichita employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Wichita, Kansas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Wichita 20,385 -286 +9,423

Number of Unemployed Persons

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Kansas
Unemployment Rate		 Wichita
Unemployment Rate		 Wichita
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 3.2% 6.3% 20,385
January
2021		 6.3% 3.4% 6.4% 20,671
December
2020		 6.7% 4.7% 4.7% 14,894
November
2020		 6.7% 4.7% 7.0% 22,488
October
2020		 6.9% 4.7% 7.1% 22,701
September
2020		 7.8% 6.1% 8.4% 26,576
August
2020		 8.4% 6.2% 10.1% 32,438
July
2020		 10.2% 6.6% 10.7% 34,395
June
2020		 11.1% 7.0% 10.9% 34,606
May
2020		 13.3% 9.0% 14.4% 47,491
April
2020		 14.8% 12.6% 18.2% 61,061

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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