Counties With the Highest Unemployment in Kansas

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Counties with the highest unemployment in Kansas

Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Kansas using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in April 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.

For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Kansas.

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#50. Cloud County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 3,651 people (94 unemployed)

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#49. Seward County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,509 people (249 unemployed)

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#48. Douglas County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 68,434 people (1,788 unemployed)

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#47. Shawnee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 93,669 people (2,453 unemployed)

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#46. Johnson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 353,957 people (9,036 unemployed)

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#45. Hodgeman County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 974 people (26 unemployed)

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#43. Elk County (tie)

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,136 people (31 unemployed)

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#43. Kiowa County (tie)

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,146 people (31 unemployed)

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#42. Sherman County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,677 people (71 unemployed)

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#41. Greenwood County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,881 people (79 unemployed)

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#40. Russell County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,231 people (87 unemployed)

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#39. Wabaunsee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,764 people (102 unemployed)

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#38. Jefferson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,537 people (284 unemployed)

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#37. Barton County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,227 people (330 unemployed)

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#36. Franklin County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,810 people (394 unemployed)

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#35. Lyon County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,361 people (439 unemployed)

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#34. Miami County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,221 people (483 unemployed)

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#33. Leavenworth County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,744 people (1,034 unemployed)

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#32. Graham County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,106 people (31 unemployed)

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#31. Pawnee County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,491 people (69 unemployed)

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#30. Harvey County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,426 people (483 unemployed)

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#29. Reno County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,746 people (810 unemployed)

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#28. Morton County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,053 people (31 unemployed)

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#27. Chase County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,127 people (33 unemployed)

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#26. Trego County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,234 people (36 unemployed)

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#25. Rush County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,579 people (46 unemployed)

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#24. Coffey County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,803 people (111 unemployed)

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#23. Allen County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,985 people (172 unemployed)

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#22. Butler County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,350 people (957 unemployed)

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#21. Chautauqua County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,339 people (40 unemployed)

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#20. Brown County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,227 people (127 unemployed)

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#19. Dickinson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,139 people (247 unemployed)

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#18. Labette County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 9,124 people (272 unemployed)

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#17. Sedgwick County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 260,414 people (7,843 unemployed)

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#16. Lane County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 677 people (21 unemployed)

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#15. Decatur County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,074 people (33 unemployed)

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#14. Grant County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,739 people (84 unemployed)

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#13. Sumner County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,907 people (333 unemployed)

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#12. Montgomery County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,539 people (460 unemployed)

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#11. Crawford County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,634 people (604 unemployed)

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#10. Jewell County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,104 people (36 unemployed)

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#9. Cowley County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,703 people (516 unemployed)

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#8. Neosho County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,061 people (205 unemployed)

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#7. Wyandotte County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 78,937 people (2,694 unemployed)

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#6. Atchison County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,445 people (224 unemployed)

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#5. Stevens County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,684 people (96 unemployed)

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#4. Wilson County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,485 people (124 unemployed)

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#3. Geary County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 11,040 people (411 unemployed)

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#2. Linn County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,392 people (180 unemployed)

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#1. Bourbon County

- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,992 people (267 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.