McPherson Area Jobless Rate Drops Below State Average
Local unemployment falls to 2.8% in September, matching last year's figure
MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson area's unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% in September, falling below both state and national averages, according to data released this week by the Kansas Department of Labor.
The McPherson micro area, which includes McPherson County, saw 513 people out of work last month among a total workforce of 18,091. That represents a significant improvement from August, when the unemployment rate stood at 3.4%. The September figure matches the area's jobless rate from the same month last year. Kansas as a whole recorded a 3.6% unemployment rate in September, while the seasonally adjusted statewide rate held steady at 3.8% for the second consecutive month.
The local employment picture showed 17,578 people working in September, an increase from the previous month. McPherson's jobless rate ranked among the lowest in Kansas, tying with Garden City for the second-lowest unemployment rate among the state's micropolitan areas. Only Kingman County posted a lower rate at 2.7%. The September figures represent preliminary data, with August numbers having been revised from their initial release. State labor officials track employment data across Kansas counties and regions to measure economic health and workforce trends.
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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