Kansas Unemployment Program Ending

Unemployed Kansas residents who are receiving extended state unemployment benefits will stop receiving the benefits in early January.

State Department of Labor officials said Friday that a 13-week program would end on Jan. 7 because the Kansas unemployment rate has improved enough that the state no longer qualifies.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 6.7 percent. The latest seasonally adjusted rate will be announced Tuesday.

Deputy Labor Secretary Kathie Sparks says there were 1,565 households in Kansas receiving the extended benefits.

The program is in addition to the 26 weeks of regular state unemployment benefits and an additional 47 weeks of federally funded benefits. Those programs aren’t affected by Kansas’ improving unemployment rate.

Sparks says residents were being notified that the program is ending.

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