The unemployment rate in Hutchinson remained unchanged in February from the January number according to figures released by the Kansas Department of Labor. The unemployment number stayed at 5.4%. That’s still considerably lower then February of last year when the rate was at 6.6%. According to the report, there were 1-thousand, 119 residents of the city looking for work in February.
The rate for Reno County also remained unchanged from January when the rate was 4.9%. It didn’t change in February and also considerably better then in February of last year when the rate was at 5.9%.
Rates in the surrounding counties saw slight increases. Harvey County’s rate for February is now at 4.8%, Kingman County at 4.2%, McPherson at 3.8%, Pratt County at 3.5%, Rice County at 3.7%,. and Stafford County at 4.4%. Sedgwick County with its much larger population also saw a slight increase going from 6.3% in January to 6.5% in February. But, all of these rates are considerably lower then February of last year.
The state’s unemployment rate increased in February to a seasonally adjusted 4.9 percent, up from 4.8 percent in January.