WSU job growth report says Wichita nearing full employment

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Job growth is expected to slow in Wichita, according to a new study from Wichita State University, with production, trade and service sectors all expected to be affected.

The report finds that Wichita is nearing full employment, meaning the city’s workforce is being fully utilized. This leads to more competition for labor and wages.

KSN spoke with Craig Compton, Research Economist and Project Manager at Center for Economic Development and Business Research at WSU. He said Kansas does not have an employment problem, the state has a wage problem and businesses will need to close the wage gap.

“The main factors that we expect to contribute to the slowdown are inflation and supply chain issues within the manufacturing sector,” said

He says manufacturing, which is prominent in Wichita, supports 30% of the state’s economy. So, supply chain issues and production slowdown have an impact on the economy.

However, Compton says despite this slow job growth, overall incomes are expected to rise by 3.3% in 2025.

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