December 2025
Released January 27, 2026
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United States
Employment snapshot
In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.
The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.
In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.
Kansas
Employment snapshot
In December, Kansas lost 4,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,100 net payroll jobs.
Over the past 12 months, Kansas lost 1,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Kansas is tied for 37th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
In December, Kansas’s private sector lost 5,000 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 400 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,100 net private payroll jobs.
In December, employment in Kansas rose by 3,673, and over the past 12 months it rose by 17,225.
Kansas’s labor force participation rate rose to 67.5 percent in December from 67.4 percent and ranks 8th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.3 percentage points.
Kansas
Payroll employment
Kansas lost 4,500 net payroll jobs, or -0.3 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,100 jobs. Kansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Kansas is tied for 37th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
Kansas lost 5,000 private sector jobs, or -0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,100 jobs. Kansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Kansas ranks 37th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
From November 2025 to December 2025:
- The best performing sectors were Financial Activities (+600) and Professional and Business Services (+500).
- The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-2,100) and Construction (-1,200).
From December 2024 to December 2025:
- The best performing sectors were Financial Activities (+3,200) and Private Education and Health Services (+2,000).
- The worst performing sectors were Leisure and Hospitality (-5,200) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-3,000).
Kansas
Labor force
The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The labor force participation rate in Kansas rose to 67.5 percent in December from 67.4 percent in the prior month.
Kansas ranks 8th in the nation.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Kansas was 67.8 percent occurring in December 2015, and the 10-year low was 66.3 percent in April 2020.
The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in December.