Area unemployment rate of 5 percent shows labor improvement

The Kansas City area’s unemployment rate was 5 percent in November 2014, compared with 5.5 percent a year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

It was one of 341 out of 372 metro areas studied by the Labor Department that had lower jobless rates in November 2014 compared with November 2013, indicating widespread improvement in the labor market.

The bureau estimated 52,500 unemployed job hunters in the Kansas City area in November compared with 56,400 a year earlier. The figure is based on statistical sampling through a household survey.

According to the bureau’s companion “establishment” report, based on employers’ data, the Kansas City area had 1 percent employment growth in the November-to-November period. That represented a net gain of 10,300 payroll jobs.

The report said 1,027,800 employees in the Kansas City area were on nonfarm payrolls in November 2014.

This story was originally published February 4, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Area unemployment rate of 5 percent shows labor improvement."