Kansas City Jobs Report

March 2019 Jobs Report

Real time jobs report data summary. Figures are based on the latest data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov). All jobs numbers are for non-farm employment.

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Jobs Added

Metro -2,200

Month Over Month: -0.2%
3 Month Average: -10,300
Year Over Year: +0.6%

State -2,200

Month Over Month: -0.2%
3 Month Average: -867
Year Over Year: +0.6%

National +196,000

Month Over Month: +0.1%
3 Month Average: 180,333
Year Over Year: +1.7%

Unemployment Rate

Metro 3.7%

Month Over Month: -0.1%
3 Month Average: 3.53%
Year Over Year: -0.1%

State 3.4%

Month Over Month: 0.0%
3 Month Average: 3.37%
Year Over Year: -0.1%

National 3.8%

Month Over Month: 0.0%
3 Month Average: 3.87%
Year Over Year: -0.2%

5 Things to Know About the National Jobs Report

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the US unemployment rate remained flat at 3.8% in March with 196,000 jobs added. This is a large improvement to February when only 20,000 jobs were added to the economy, the lowest month of job gains since September 2017. According to The New York Times, the US has produced nearly 21 million jobs since the economy took a plunge ten years ago.

Regionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down the state and metro unemployment rates one month behind the national breakdown. Those numbers will be released mid-month every month.

Here are 3 other things to know about March’s jobs report:

Worker Shortages: The Wall Street Journal estimates there are around 6.89 million job openings in the US, but according to March’s latest unemployment numbers, there are only 6.5 million unemployed individuals to fill them. On top of that, “job leavers” – defined by the BLS as workers who quit or voluntarily left their previous jobs and immediately began looking for other employment – have risen over the past 12 months. To learn more about the current worker shortage, and how to both find and retain your talent, download our latest White Paper here.

Wage Growth: Average hourly earnings increased by 4-cents in March, following an 11-cent gain in February. According to The New York Times, wages and salaries rose 3.4% over the year, the highest the rate has been since pre-recession days. Employers can expect to continue to see wages increase throughout 2019.

Speed-to-Hire: With job postings outpacing applicants, one way our company is finding and placing talent for our clients is by expediting the hiring process, without compromising integrity. We put together this infographic to highlight the steps you can take to speed up your interviewing process, while still finding and placing quality candidates.

Local Industry Job Growth from the B.L.S.

Finance & Insurance 0

From Last Month: 0.0%
3 Month Average: 31
From Last Year: -1.9%

Telecommunications -100

From Last Month: -4.5%
3 Month Average: 2
From Last Year: -12.5%

Accommodation & Food Services -700

From Last Month: -2.0%
3 Month Average: 35
From Last Year: -0.3%

Manufacturing -300

From Last Month: -0.9%
3 Month Average: 31
From Last Year: +1.0%

Retail Trade -1,100

From Last Month: -2.3%
3 Month Average: 48
From Last Year: -2.5%

Transportation & Warehousing -300

From Last Month: -1.0%
3 Month Average: 29
From Last Year: +0.3%

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing -100

From Last Month: -2.4%
3 Month Average: 4
From Last Year: -2.4%

Goods Producing -1,700

From Last Month: -3.3%
3 Month Average: 51
From Last Year: -3.0%

Hospitals +100

From Last Month: +0.5%
3 Month Average: 22
From Last Year: +4.3%

Computer & Electronic Product Manufacturing -100

From Last Month: -5.9%
3 Month Average: 2
From Last Year: -5.9%

U.S. Job Growth for All Sectors

Local Job Reports

BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.