The unemployment rate for multiple counties in October was lower than it was in September but still higher than a year ago.

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Montgomery County had an unemployment rate of 5.8% which was a nearly 2% improvement from last month when the rate was at 7.6%. However, that is still higher than the 4.1% in October of 2019.

Labette County's unemployment dropped by 1% to 4.6% while Chautauqua County was near the state average at 5.5%. Wilson County had one of the highest unemployment rates in the region at 6% while Cherokee County had the lowest in the region at 3.9%. The overall average in Kansas is 5.3% which is far below the national average of nearly 7%.

A full list of unemployment numbers from across the state can be found here.