TOPEKA — The Brownback Administration hailed the Kansas unemployment rate, showed a sharp drop in November. The county jobless rates in Franklin County and neighboring counties also fell in November. Kansas unemployment fell from 5.6 percent in October to 5.1 percent in November. The unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in five years, and the continuing increase in employment shows the state’s job-creation efforts are on the right track, said Kansas labor secretary Lana Gordon. However, Democrat legislator Paul Davis, who’s challenging Brownback for governor, said although the numbers are better, they aren’t as good as they’re made out to be. The Kansas job-creation rate is improving but remains relatively weak and neighboring states’ employment numbers are better, he said. Franklin County’s jobless rate fell from 5.6 percent in October to 4.5 percent in November. The Miami County rate fell from 5 percent to 4.5 percent, Anderson County from 5.3 to 4.8, Douglas County from 4.4 to 3.8, Johnson County from 4.7 to 4.1, Osage County from 5.8 to 5.2 and Linn County from 6.7 to 5.8.
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 3 p.m.
