Topeka — The state's unemployment rate dropped slightly in February and followed normal, seasonal trends, but signs are emerging that the Kansas economy is slowing.
The jobless rate in February was 4 percent, down from 4.1 percent in January, the state Department of Human Resources reported Tuesday.
Unemployment in the Lawrence area defined as Douglas County checked in at 4.1 percent for the month, up from 4 percent in January. The rate was 4.1 percent in February 2000.
The department attributed the statewide decline to non-teaching personnel in schools who are considered government workers returning to their jobs after winter breaks. It said those gains offset seasonal post-holiday layoffs by retail stores.
But the department also noted that the unemployment figure for February 2000 was slightly lower, 3.9 percent. The jobless rates in 2000 were slightly higher than figures for 1999, when they hit lows that hadn't been seen in two decades.
"There are some signs that things are cooling a bit," said William Layes, the department's chief of labor market information.
The department said 1,380,208 Kansans held jobs in February almost identical to the number who were working in January. The number of people who were actively seeking jobs was 58,158, about 1,100 less than in January.
Unemployment rates in the state's metro areas, other than Lawrence, for February:
l Topeka (Shawnee County): 4.2 percent, up from 4.1 percent in January.
l Kansas City (Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties): 3.7 percent, down from 3.8 percent in January.
l Wichita (Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties): 3.8 percent, down from 4.1 percent.
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