By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel notes that there is still a workforce supply problem in Reno County, as unemployment is back to pre-pandemic lows at 3.5%.
"We have just over 29,000 people actively working," Teufel said. "Of those total unemployed, they actually processed unemployment insurance claims for that prior week of 110 people."
Reno County is in the middle of the road, but unemployment is relatively low throughout the region.
"Sedgwick County's unemployment rate is the highest in the region," Teufel said. "It's at 4.9%. Our neighbors, you're going to see anything from 2.5% on up to that 4% number. We're kind of right in the middle. We have employers trying to hire in a time when unemployment is relatively low, in fact very low."
Though the number often lags a little, Teufel believes that is forcing wages up.
"Pressure on wages is what happens when you have a demand that is outpacing the supply," Teufel said. "Median wages are rising. That data always lags just a little bit, too. I had an employer reach out to us last week and they wanted to get some primary data about some of their competitors or peers in the region and that data is hard to get, unless, you know, you just do polling. The median wage in Reno County is just above $16 an hour. I think when the numbers come out next year, it's going to be at $17 an hour. That number has inched up about $1 every year in recent years."
The hope is that the wage increases result in more discretionary income to be spent in the community.