Kansas Unemployment Falls To 4.9%

A new report says the Kansas economy continued to improve at the end of 2013 as the state’s unemployment rate dipped below 5 percent for the first time since 2008.

The Department of Labor said Monday the seasonally adjusted rate fell to 4.9 percent in December from November’s 5.1 percent. Last month’s figure was also down from 5.5 percent in December 2012.

Labor Secretary Lana Gordon says Kansas gained 10,000 nonfarm jobs in 2013, the second consecutive year the state added more than 10,000 jobs to payrolls.

Nine of the 11 major industry sectors posted job gains last year, topped by professional and business services with about 3,900 jobs added. Declines of 100 jobs were reported in government employment and 800 jobs in the trade, transportation and utilities sector.