Lawrence Area Unemployment Drops to 3.4% in September

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The unemployment rate in the Lawrence area fell to 3.4% in September, down from 4.0% in August, according to labor market data released this month by the Kansas Department of Labor.

Douglas County and the Lawrence metro area, which share the same boundaries, had 2,458 people unemployed out of a total workforce of 72,981 in September. The city of Lawrence specifically reported 2,004 unemployed residents with an identical 3.4% unemployment rate. While the September rate showed improvement from the previous month, it remained slightly higher than the 3.1% recorded in September 2024. The area's unemployment rate was better than the statewide average of 3.6% and matched neighboring Johnson County's 3.4% rate.

The Lawrence area's jobless rate compared favorably to most other major Kansas cities and regions. The state's largest city, Wichita, reported a 3.9% unemployment rate in September, while the capital city of Topeka saw 4.0% unemployment. Kansas City, Kansas recorded the highest rate among major cities at 4.5%. Nationwide comparisons were not immediately available in the state report. The September figures represent preliminary data that may be revised in future reports.

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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