Owning a small business in Wichita, KS might not be a bad idea, job growth is good, housing has rebounded and the aviation manufacturing capital of the world is on an aileron roll. So consumer spending is up and retail and service sectors are doing fine again. Code Enforcement said to be a big pain in the ass to local small businesses at least the ones we talked to although we have no real knowledge since that is all second hand smoke, however when you start hearing the same thing over and over there must be something to it. No need to worry about downtown parking tickets, enough vacant buildings allows for streets die parking to visit the areas many Museums and attorneys (parasites) who still have a job downtown. The entire state of KS had 5.6% unemployment at the beginning of the 2003 first quarter. Add ons in the number of weeks you could draw unemployment has kind of messed up the numbers as KS Senators got that into the relief bill for aerospace workers where auto workers did not. Average ages were good for downtown retail also; 35-44 age represented 16.2% of pop and 45-54 13.2 % and those are our best customers from our history of markets and Kenneth Dyckwolds thoughts. 7.4% Hispanic has moved into the area, most are in auto manufacturing of parts and small machine shops and service businesses. Dallas unemployment is 7%, Kansas City is 5.3% or at least before the roadway-Yellow freight merger and Sprints last round of lay offs. Wichita for the same period as this study was taken was 6.3% although has been hit again and again by unannounced 200 here 300 there layoffs nearly every Friday since Jan.1, 2003. The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment is a trickery campaign often used with farm labor related areas and is no different there in Wichita. If you are coming into the city they add in by use of this figure another 1% unemployment making employers think there is more skilled labor than exists. |
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