The Kansas Department of Labor released the January unemployment numbers late and apparently now getting caught up by releasing the February numbers.

Its shows the number for Hutchinson dropping some in February after jumping a full percentage point in January. The current rate is at 7.3%, still higher then December, but slightly lower then the 7.9 % indicated in January. Still its higher then the 7.1% rate we had for the same period last year.

The number for Reno County also dropped going from 6.5% in January to an even 6% in February. That number is also higher then where we were in February of 2012 when the county rate was at 5.8%.

All the surrounding counties also saw their numbers drop some from January.

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state declined from 6.2 to 5.8 %, while the smooth seasonally adjusted number remained steady at 5.5 % for the fourth month. In February 2012, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.9 %.