TOPEKA | Kansas unemployment rate went DOWN in October to 6.4 percent. Down?

Yes, but don’t get too excited. The state’s Department of Labor says the dip (September’s jobless number was 6.8 percent) is mostly due to seasonal factors.

The monthly job data was released this morning by the Department of Labor.

Kansas businesses have lost 57,700 jobs so far this year. Last year at this time the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent.

“Kansas continued to experience a weak labor market in October,” said Inayat Noormohmad of the Labor Department. “We have seen limited over-the-month growth, however, over-the-year job losses remain significant. While we’re seeing improvements in some economic indicators, we know recovery in the job markets remains uncertain for the near future.”

Here’s a breakdown of which sectors have lost the most jobs so far this year:

Manufacturing lost 25,500 jobs over the year, a 13.6 percent decrease. Aviation jobs and durable goods manufacturing led the way.

Professional and business services lost 13,700 jobs over the year, a 9.2 percent decline.

Retail trade, transportation and utility jobs lost 8,500 jobs over the year, a 3.2 percent decrease.

Care to guess which sectors of the economy actually posted modest gains? Education and health care.