Kansas Overview

Kansas remained relatively protected during the recession. The Sunflower State’s diverse businesses, including agriculture, government, transportation and information, helped the state weather the downturn despite some declines in manufacturing jobs. Kansas should regain some footing in manufacturing, and improved business conditions should help create additional jobs in Kansas for the state’s 1.5 million workers.

Kansas Job Opportunities

Best-known for its agriculture sector, Kansas grows more wheat than any other state. But Kansas is also the world leader in aviation manufacturing for producing more than 70 percent of the world’s embedded aviation fleet. Kansas is looking to expand jobs in five key industries: advanced manufacturing, bioscience, professional services, renewable fuels and bioenergy, and wind energy.

The most Kansas jobs are in the government and trade, transportation and utilities sectors. Kansas employment opportunities are also abundant in education/health services, manufacturing and professional/business services. While the government; trade, transportation and utilities; and information sectors have reported job declines, most industries are showing positive momentum. In recent months, the professional/business services sector has reported significant job gains.

Kansas Employment Trends

The unemployment rate in Kansas, which peaked at only 7.6 percent in mid-2009, had dropped to the low 6-percent range by the beginning of 2012. State payrolls, which dipped slightly in mid-2011, have shown positive growth into mid-2012. Online hiring showed solid monthly job gains in 2011 and into 2012.

Moody’s Analytics forecasts employment in Kansas to increase 1.3 percent between Q2 2012 and Q2 2013, matching the growth rate expected in the national job supply during that time.