The Kansas Department of Labor released the new unemployment numbers early Tuesday morning.

The December numbers show the unemployment rate for Hutchinson dropped slightly once again, dropping from 6.7 to 6.4%. Reno County also dropped slightly from 5.5 to 5.2%.

Hutchinson had 1-thousand, 348-residents still listed as unemployed, while 19-thousand, 827 were employed from a workforce of 21-thousand, 175. Reno County had 1-thousand, 815- residents looking for work, but most of those were in the city of Hutchinson.

Most of the surrounding counties also saw their numbers dropped some, with the exception of Pratt County, where the rate increased slightly, going from 4.5% in November to 4.6% in December. Stafford County saw no change at all, staying at 4.8%.

Harvey County’s rate went from 4.7% in November to 4.4%, last month, while Kingman, went from 4.8% to 4.5%.

The rate in McPherson County is at 5.4% in December, a drop from 5.6% the previous month, and Rice County is at 4.3% as of the December numbers, a drop from 4.5% in November.

Even Sedgwick County saw a slight drop in their unemployment numbers, going from 7.3% in November to 7.1% last month.

According to December 2011 estimates, Kansas gained 12,400 nonfarm jobs over the year, a 0.9 percent increase. Kansas gained 12,000 private sector jobs since December 2010.

Over the month, Kansas lost 6,000 nonfarm jobs, a 0.4 percent decrease. Kansas lost 5,600 private sector jobs over the month mostly due to seasonal changes.

The December 2011 unemployment rate in Kansas was 5.9 percent, down from 6.0 percent in November 2011 and down from 6.4 percent a year ago.

The December 2011 seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, down from 6.5 percent in November 2011 and down from 6.8 percent in December 2010.

Again, these numbers released early Tuesday morning from the Kansas Department of Labor.