Ellis County Unemployment Holds Steady at 3 Percent in September
Hays area jobless rate remains below state and national averages as labor market stays strong
HAYS, Kan. — Ellis County's unemployment rate held at 3 percent in September 2025, remaining well below both the state and national averages, according to data released by the Kansas Department of Labor on Dec. 11. The county, which includes Hays, had 16,987 people in its workforce, with 16,474 employed and 513 looking for work.
The local jobless rate was lower than Kansas' overall unemployment rate of 3.6 percent for September and significantly better than the 3.8 percent rate recorded by the state's seasonally adjusted figures. Ellis County's September numbers showed a slight improvement from August, when unemployment stood at 3.5 percent, though they were marginally higher than the 2.8 percent rate recorded in September 2024. Among Kansas counties, Ellis County ranked among the lowest for unemployment, tied with other rural areas like McPherson County and performing better than major metropolitan areas including Wichita, which saw a 3.8 percent unemployment rate, and the Kansas City metro area at 3.7 percent.
Due to the lapse in federal funding during the federal government shutdown, all Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) operations were suspended from Oct. 1, 2025, through Nov. 12, 2025. As a result, KDOL will not publish a separate report for the October 2025 Kansas Labor Report. Establishment survey data from the Current Employment Statistics program for October 2025 will be published with the November 2025 data. Household survey data from the Current Population Survey, which serve as the primary input to the Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, were not collected for the October 2025 reference period due to a lapse in appropriations and will not be collected retroactively.
The November 2025 Kansas Labor Report will be released January 7, 2026. The release schedule for December 2025 has not yet been finalized. We will communicate the date when it becomes available.
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