Department of Numbers

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Wichita rose 0.5 percentage points in November 2020 to 7.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.0 percentage points higher than the Kansas rate. The unemployment rate in Wichita peaked in April 2020 at 18.2% and is now 10.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.1% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare Wichita unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.7% -0.2 +3.1
Kansas 5.6% +0.6 +2.5
Wichita 7.6% +0.5 +4.2
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2020 data as December 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 36,353 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 22,701 in October 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 2,007. Wichita employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Wichita, Kansas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
Wichita 24,708 +2,007 +14,049

Number of Unemployed Persons

Wichita, Kansas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Kansas
Unemployment Rate		 Wichita
Unemployment Rate		 Wichita
Unemployed
December
2020		 6.7% — — —
November
2020		 6.7% 5.6% 7.6% 24,708
October
2020		 6.9% 5.0% 7.1% 22,701
September
2020		 7.8% 5.9% 8.4% 26,576
August
2020		 8.4% 6.9% 10.1% 32,438
July
2020		 10.2% 7.2% 10.7% 34,395
June
2020		 11.1% 7.5% 10.9% 34,606
May
2020		 13.3% 10.0% 14.4% 47,491
April
2020		 14.8% 11.9% 18.2% 61,061
March
2020		 4.4% 2.8% 3.4% 10,873
February
2020		 3.5% 3.1% 3.5% 10,962
January
2020		 3.5% 3.1% 3.4% 10,746

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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