August 2026 | Released September 18, 2026

Download the full PDF for Kansas

Download the summary PDF for Kansas

United States

Employment snapshot

• In August, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 28, rose in 4, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in August.

• In August, payroll jobs rose in 35 states and fell in 16. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in New Mexico. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Maryland.

Kansas

Employment snapshot

• In August, Kansas added 1,900 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Kansas added 400 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Kansas added 7,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point from 3.7 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 22nd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In August, Kansas’s private sector added 1,700 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 10,800 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Kansas added 1,800 net private payroll jobs.

• In August, employment in Kansas fell by 2,878, and over the past 12 months it fell by 23,159.

• Kansas’s labor force participation rate fell to 66.6 percent in August from 66.7 percent and ranks 6th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 1.4 percentage points.

---

Kansas

Payroll employment

• Kansas added 1,900 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Kansas added 400 jobs. Kansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 22nd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Kansas added 1,700 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Kansas added 1,800 jobs. Kansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 127,000 jobs in August, or 0.1 percent. Kansas is tied for 15th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From July 2026 to August 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+900) and Professional and Business Services (+700).
• The worst performing sectors were Leisure and Hospitality (-1,000) and Financial Activities (-400).

From August 2025 to August 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Construction (+4,100) and Private Education and Health Services (+3,100).
• The worst performing sectors were Federal Government (-2,200) and State and Local Government (-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 66.6 percent in August from 66.7 percent in the prior month.

• Kansas ranks 6th 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 rose by 0.2 percentage points to 61.6 percent in August.