HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The latest unemployment numbers were released Friday by the Kansas Department of Labor and show a 3.7 percent unemployment rate for Hutchinson in December. That is a slight drop from November when the rate was at 3.9 percent and much lower than December of 2016 when the rate was 4.7 percent.

The rate for Reno County also saw a slight drop in the rate for December at 3.4 percent, down from 3.6 percent in November and 4.3 percent in December of 2016.

Other surrounding counties also saw a slight drop in their rates as well.

Preliminary estimates for the state show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.4 percent in December. This was down from 3.5 percent in November and down from 4.3 percent in December 2016. Officials say this is the lowest the rate has been in 18 years.