TOPEKA (KSNT) – Shawnee County saw increases in employment and wages over the past year, according to a report released on Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Mountain-Plains Information Office released an employment and wages report for Kansas on March 17 that show the four largest counties in Kansas — Shawnee, Sedgwick, Wyandotte and Johnson Counties — saw an increase in average weekly wage gains in the third quarter of 2025.
PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Out of the four counties, Shawnee County had the largest increase in employment with a gain of 2.9% from Sept. 2024 to Sept. 2025. The county also had the largest increase in weekly wages in the past year with a gain of 5.4% overall.
However, the weekly wages in Shawnee County are still lower than the national average of $1,459 a week with the county standing at $1,184 a week average.
In northeast Kansas, counties like Clay, Cloud and Lyon each saw a decrease in employment numbers while Jefferson and Riley Counties saw a general increase in employment numbers in the past year.
Brown wheat mite activity confirmed in Kansas, K-State reports
Kansas itself saw a decrease in its employment numbers over the year, having 1,445,629 employed by the end of 2024 and 1,431,736 employed by Sept. 2025.
For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
