Kansas City area ended 2015 with a 3.8 percent jobless rate

The Kansas City area had a 3.8 percent unemployment rate in December 2015, according to figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

On a nonseasonally adjusted basis, that compares to a 4.8 percent national unemployment rate in December. The local numbers are published in the national report on top metropolitan areas.

Total nonfarm employment in the area was 1,042,700 in December, up 2,700, or 0.3 percent, from a year earlier. Nationally, nonfarm employment rose 1.9 percent over the year.

The Missouri side of the metro area accounted for the net job gain over the year, as the Kansas-side employment total was basically unchanged. The education, health services and construction sectors were the strongest job gainers. The professional and business services and leisure and hospitality sectors were the biggest job losers.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Kansas City area ended 2015 with a 3.8 percent jobless rate."