Kan. jobless rate dips to 6.4 percent

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Labor officials say the Kansas unemployment rate declined to 6.4 percent in October, though an analyst cautions the job market remains weak.

Friday's report shows there were 22,815 initial claims for unemployment benefits in October, an increase of 5,300 from September and 5,500 more claims than were filed in October 2008.

For the month, there were 11,700 new jobs in Kansas, rising to 1.34 million. But the figure was still 57,700 below October 2008. Most of the gains were in seasonal jobs.

An analyst for the Kansas Department of Labor says the over-the-year job losses are significant. Despite some improvement in economic indicators, the job markets remain uncertain for the near future.