New report estimates rise in Kansas employment, GDP over coming months

TOPEKA — The unemployment rate in Kansas is expected to decrease in 2024, with the state poised to add thousands of new jobs, according to new employment predictions.

Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research released an updated Kansas Employment Forecast in May.

Since 2020, employment rates have been on the rise. The CEDBR estimates employment numbers will be about 1,473,952 by the end of 2023, and rise to about 1,482,821 in 2024, projecting an employment increase of .8% for the state in 2024 with 11,464 jobs added.

“Based on our projections for the next few years, we are seeing steady growth across most industries in Kansas,” said CEDBR Director Jeremy Hill. “While some industries may experience slight declines, overall we expect to see a positive trend in employment across the state.”

The CEDBR report also predicted a continued drop in unemployment based on the Kansas labor market, with a decrease in unemployment from 2020 to 2023. Kansas had about 87,557 unemployed residents in 2020, with an unemployment rate of 6.2%. This rate fell to 2.9% by 2022, and is projected to drop to 2.6% by the end of 2023 as the state recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gross domestic product across all industries in the state is expected to increase. The oil, mining and natural gas industry in particular is expected to have significant growth, with an estimated increase of 6.2% this year and a 16.3% increase in 2024.