Marion County unemployment rate fluctuates little in 2001 years ago
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
Marion County saw its unemployment rate stay fairly consistent over the course of 2001, according to data released by the Kansas Department of Human Resources.
An average of 2.3 percent of Marion County's work force remained unemployed each month during 2001. These figures exclude December's numbers, which haven't been released yet.
That percentage gives Marion County one of the lowest unemployment rates in the eastern half of Kansas. It's also lower than the statewide average of 3.8 percent for the year, also excluding December.
The county unemployment rate began at 2.5 percent in January and peaked to 2.7 in February, the highest point it would reach all year.
After February, unemployment declined to 2 percent in April, and after another slight increase, hit 1.9 percent in September. October and November saw unemployment creep back up to 2.4 percent.
With November's unemployment rate of 2.4 percent, Marion County had the lowest percentage of unemployed workers in the state in counties west of Wichita.
Marion County has a work force of 7,105 people. Of these individuals, 6,931 are employed.
According to Richard Beyer, secretary of the Kansas Department of Human Resources, statewide employment rose 3,784 in November, while unemployment rose 458.
As a whole, the state of Kansas currently has 1,445, 824 citizens in its civilian labor force. Of these, 1,388, 241 have jobs, and 57,583 do not.
Unemployment in the Wichita area has also increased, mainly due to layoffs in manufacturing. In that city, 4.2 percent of its workers are unemployed, up from 3.9 percent in October.
The November unemployment rate for the Kansas City metropolitan statistical area was 4.0 percent. In Lawrence, that number was 4.4 percent, and in Topeka, 3.5 percent of the workforce was unemployed.
