Hays,KS/Ellis County- Low Unemployment story (Lawrence, Manhattan: 2014, employment)

[fortwaynebandit]

According to this story, the unemployment rate in Hays/Ellis County is at 2.7%. What is the reason for this and are there numerous jobs in the area?

Ellis County unemployment rate at 2.7 percent, state unchanged | Hays Post

[MOKAN]

I've never been there and don't know much about Hays at all, but I think there's a sort of social segregation and I think that's basically why. I almost suspect that those in power out that way have done things to keep it that way. Hays is very different from the other larger small towns in western Kansas. Overall, I think a lot of college towns are kind of like Hays in terms of segregation. Now you've got me wondering what the unemployment rate in Manhattan and Lawrence are.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

I've never been there and don't know much about Hays at all, but I think there's a sort of social segregation and I think that's basically why. I almost suspect that those in power out that way have done things to keep it that way. Hays is very different from the other larger small towns in western Kansas. Overall, I think a lot of college towns are kind of like Hays in terms of segregation. Now you've got me wondering what the unemployment rate in Manhattan and Lawrence are.

http://www.hayspost.com/wp-content/u...9.56.42-AM.png

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

http://www.hayspost.com/wp-content/u...9.56.42-AM.png

Oh wow, so it's just a typical rural county trend. How do you explain that? Is it just that there aren't enough working people there in general, let alone enough people sticking around who are out of work? I seem to recall some discussion on this forum fairly recently about small town gas stations or something hurting for employees and offering relatively decent wages because of that, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised now. It was some poster talking about moving to rural KS to live cheaply or something.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

Oh wow, so it's just a typical rural county trend. How do you explain that? Is it just that there aren't enough working people there in general, let alone enough people sticking around who are out of work? I seem to recall some discussion on this forum fairly recently about small town gas stations or something hurting for employees and offering relatively decent wages because of that, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised now. It was some poster talking about moving to rural KS to live cheaply or something.

Yes, your summation is mostly correct. For better or worse, most of the frontier counties with fewer than seven people per square mile can't retain their populations as most working age people, college graduates, and families leave for larger cities that have more opportunities and a more diverse array of job opportunities that exist for more specialized career fields. The trend has slightly reversed for a few of those counties with very low UE numbers, but that had mainly been a slight rise in O&G market/jobs on a smaller scale.
I am familiar with Hays since I've lived out there in the past. The university, FHSU, appears to be in growth mode- yet retains the lowest tuition rates of any four year institution in the state. There has been a growth in the healthcare and hospitals there as that is a growth area. Some growth in the energy sector employment has occurred. The majority of all other jobs are very low paying- hence the low UE. The workforce and population is quite mobile there and will leave for better job opportunities and pay elsewhere. This does not even touch on other issues that the region have and continue to deal with.