TOPEKA – The state’s July, 2016, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent. This was up from 3.8 percent in June and unchanged from July 2015.

In northwest Kansas, Ellis County unemployment was at 3.8 percent in July, an increase of 0.4 percent over the year.

Just two counties in the region, Smith and Gove, saw decreased unemployment over the year. Smith County was down 0.8 percent while Gove County’s unemployment rate was down 0.2 percent.

The biggest unemployment increase in northwest Kansas was in Graham County at 0.9 percent with neighboring Rooks County following closely at 0.8 percent.

The preliminary seasonally adjusted job estimates from the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Kansas nonfarm jobs decreased by 5,600 from June. Since last month, Kansas private sector jobs decreased by 4,600. The largest private sector over the month job decrease was in Professional and Business Services.

Over the year, Kansas lost 4,500 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs. Kansas lost 2,900 private sector jobs since July 2015.

Kansas not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs decreased by 2,600, a 0.2 percent decrease since July 2015. Kansas lost 700 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.1 percent. The state lost 26,000 total not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs over the month, due to typical July losses in government. Since June, private sector jobs decreased by 5,900, or 0.5 percent.

“The Kansas portion of the Kansas City metro area gained jobs over the month, however those gains were not large enough to keep the statewide area from reporting a loss in jobs from June,” said Tyler Tenbrink, Senior Labor Economist, Kansas Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised seasonally adjusted preliminary total nonfarm job estimates for June down by 2,100 jobs, from 1,403,400 to 1,401,300. Seasonally adjusted private sector jobs were revised down by 200 jobs, from 1,145,400 to 1,145,200.

Seasonally adjusted estimates for July show that the state’s labor force declined by 7,206 to 1,490,217. Of those in the labor force, 1,429,857 Kansans were employed and 60,360 were unemployed. This month’s net change in the labor force was attributable to 10,868 fewer Kansans counted as employed and 3,662 more unemployed.

Over the year, the labor force decreased by 7,023 persons, with a decrease of 5,917 in employment and a decrease of 1,106 in unemployment.

The labor force participation rate was 67.1 percent, down from 67.5 percent in June and down from 67.8 percent last July.

For more information on the unemployment insurance program including tax and claims data please refer to the KDOL Unemployment Insurance Weekly Review.

The August 2016 Labor Report will be released on Friday, September 16 .