Barton County Unemployment Rate Holds Steady as Kansas Sees Slight Increase

The unemployment rate in Barton County remained steady at 4.2% in July, according to preliminary estimates from the Labor Market Information (LMI) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This marks a slight increase from 3.7% in July 2025.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Kansas as a whole also remained unchanged at 3.8%, which is consistent with June's figure but up from July 2025. The labor force participation rate decreased to 66.7% in July, according to the KDOL media release.

In contrast to Barton County, Ellsworth and Pawnee counties saw a decline in unemployment rates. Additionally, total nonfarm payroll employment in Kansas increased by 500 jobs from June, with private sector jobs growing by 1,500 and government jobs decreasing by 1,000.