May 2025 | Released June 24, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In May, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 13, rose in 14, and remained unchanged in 24.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.8 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in May.

• In May, payroll jobs rose in 37 states and fell in 11. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.4 percent in Connecticut.

Kansas Employment Snapshot

• In May, Kansas added 1,800 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,300 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Kansas added 12,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points from 3.5 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 139,000 in May, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 26th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In May, Kansas’s private sector added 1,900 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 2,200 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,400 net private payroll jobs.

• In May, employment in Kansas fell by 1,555, and over the past 12 months it rose by 5,233.

• Kansas’s labor force participation rate fell to 67 percent in May from 67.1 percent and ranks 9th 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 added 1,800 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,300 jobs. Kansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 139,000 in May, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 26th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Kansas added 1,900 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Kansas added 3,400 jobs. Kansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 140,000 jobs in May, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 45th 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 May were Manufacturing (1,600) and Other Services (600).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Education and Health Services (-200) and Professional and Business Services (-700).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Government (10,300) and Financial Activities (3,300).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Professional and Business Services (-2,200) and Leisure and Hospitality (-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 fell to 67 percent in May from 67.1 percent in the prior month.

• 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 fell by 0.2 percentage points to 62.4 percent in May.