Payroll jobs are growing slowly in the Kansas City area

The Kansas City area’s jobless rate was 5.3 percent in June, down from 5.7 percent a year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

Meanwhile, area employers reported a net gain of 16,500 jobs over the 12 months. The number of employees on nonfarm payrolls in the metropolitan area stood at 1,046,500 in June 2015, compared with 1,030,000 in June 2014.

The nonseasonally adjusted numbers from the statistics bureau indicated there were 4,500 fewer job hunters in the metro area in June 2015 than June 2014. The decline in the number of unemployed, coupled with a shrinkage of 4,000 workers from the labor force, contributed to the drop in the unemployment rate.

In context with other U.S. cities, the bureau reported:

▪ Unemployment rates were lower in June than a year earlier in 351 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 28 areas and unchanged in eight areas.

▪ Six areas had jobless rates of less than 3 percent and five areas had rates of at least 10 percent.

▪ Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 317 metropolitan areas, decreased in 61 areas and was unchanged in nine areas.

According to the labor bureau, the national unemployment rate in June was 5.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 6.3 percent a year earlier.

This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Payroll jobs are growing slowly in the Kansas City area."