March 2026

Released May 06, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In March, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 14, rose in 10, and remained unchanged in 27.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.3 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent.

• In March, payroll jobs rose in 35 states and fell in 15. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Tennessee. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Hawaii, Montana, and Oregon.

Kansas

Employment snapshot

• In March, Kansas lost 1,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.9 percent. In the prior month, Kansas lost 4,400 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Kansas lost 4,100 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point from 3.8 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 33rd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In March, Kansas’s private sector lost 1,000 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it lost 3,000 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Kansas lost 2,500 net private payroll jobs.

• In March, employment in Kansas fell by 3,901, and over the past 12 months it rose by 5,345.

• Kansas’s labor force participation rate fell to 67.6 percent in March from 67.8 percent and is tied for 5th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.1 percentage points.

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Kansas

Payroll employment

• Kansas lost 1,200 net payroll jobs, or -0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during March. In the prior month, Kansas lost 4,400 jobs. Kansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 33rd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Kansas lost 1,000 private sector jobs, or -0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during March. In the prior month, Kansas lost 2,500 jobs. Kansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 186,000 jobs in March, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 38th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From February 2026 to March 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+500) and Information (+200).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-900) and Construction (-400).

From March 2025 to March 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+2,200) and State and Local Government (+1,500).
• The worst performing sectors were Federal Government (-2,600) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,300).

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 fell to 67.6 percent in March from 67.8 percent in the prior month.

• Kansas is tied for 5th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Kansas was 68 percent occurring in August 2025, 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 61.9 percent in March.