April 2025 | Released May 21, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In April, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 5, rose in 20, and remained unchanged in 26.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.8 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in April.

• In April, payroll jobs rose in 40 states and fell in 11. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Mississippi. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Kansas Employment Snapshot

• In April, Kansas added 1,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Kansas added 700 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Kansas added 2,800 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points from 3.4 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 45th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In April, Kansas’s private sector added 1,500 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it lost 700 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Kansas added 300 net private payroll jobs.

• In April, employment in Kansas fell by 341, and over the past 12 months it rose by 9,016.

• Kansas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 67.1 percent in April and ranks 9th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.1 percentage points.

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Kansas Payroll Employment

• Kansas added 1,400 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Kansas added 700 jobs. Kansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 45th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Kansas added 1,500 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Kansas added 300 jobs. Kansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 167,000 jobs in April, or 0.1 percent. Kansas ranks 50th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during April were Professional and Business Services (2,500) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (200).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Manufacturing (-500) and Education and Health Services (-600).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Government (3,500) and Education and Health Services (2,900).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Manufacturing (-2,900) and Leisure and Hospitality (-3,400).

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 remained unchanged at 67.1 percent in April.

• Kansas ranks 9th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Kansas was 67.8 percent occurring in February 2016, and the 10-year low was 66.3 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 62.6 percent in April.