The unemployment rate for Hutchinson creeped up a little in December according to the latest numbers released from the Kansas Department of Labor.
The rate for December was 5.2%, up from 5% in November, but still considerably better then December of 2012 when the rate was 6.4%. One thousand, 68-people were listed as unemployed in the city last month.
The rate for Reno County was also up slightly in December to 4.3%, while it was at 4.1% in November, but 5.2% in December of 2012.
Most of the surrounding counties also saw a slight increase from November. Harvey County matched Reno County at 4.3%. Kingman County’s rate is at 3.8%, McPherson County has the lowest at 2.9%, Pratt County not far behind at 3%, and Rice County at 3.1%. Stafford County stayed the same at 3.4%.
The most populated county in the area, Sedgwick County had a rate of 5.5% in December, up from 5.2% in November, but lower then the 6.1% in December of 2012.
The December seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Kansas was 4.9 percent, down from 5.1 percent in November and down from 5.5 percent in December 2012.
Kansas gained 10,100 seasonally adjusted private sector jobs, an increase of 0.9 percent since last December, and 10,000 non-farm jobs, a 0.7 percent increase. Since last month, Kansas lost 5,500 private sector jobs and 7,400 non-farm jobs, both decreasing 0.5 percent..
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, up from 4.4 percent in November and down from 5.2 percent in December 2012.