Topeka ? The unemployment rate for April was 6.1 percent, slightly down from the revised rate of 6.4 percent for March, but still much higher than one year ago, the Kansas Department of Labor reported Friday.

The April 2008 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent.

Since then, Kansas businesses have lost 36,500 jobs.

There were 26,007 initial claims for unemployment benefits last month, up from 23,798 initial claims for March, the department reported.

Labor Department Secretary Jim Garner said the April report “underscores the importance of accessing all the funds available under the federal recovery act.”

Earlier this week, Gov. Mark Parkinson signed into law a bill that will allow Kansas to apply for an additional $69 million in federal stimulus funds.

The Douglas County unemployment rate was 5 percent for April, down from 5.5 percent in March, but up from 3.1 percent in April 2008.