Jobs plummet in Kansas at worst possible time for Gov. Sam Brownback amid budget crisis [View all]

BY YAEL T. ABOUHALKAH
abouhalkah@kcstar.com

The new jobs report released Friday contained all-around horrible news for Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, the Legislature and Kansans themselves.

▪ Total nonfarm jobs in April fell by 2,300 over March.

▪ Total private sector jobs plummeted by 2,900 for the month.

▪ Kansas actually has now lost 300 total nonfarm jobs in the first four months of the year.

▪ The state’s usually rock-solid unemployment rate went up to 4.3 percent in April.

▪ Finally, over a longer time period, Kansas has gained only 11,300 total nonfarm jobs in the last 12 months. That’s an average of fewer than 1,000 a month — far short of the 2,000-a-month pledge that Brownback is hoping for in private sector employment.

All of this information comes at a time when the Legislature is desperately trying to close a $400 million revenue gap in the proposed budget.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/yael-t-abouhalkah/article21670374.html#storylink=cpy