Employment and Wages
The transportation and warehousing industry performed strongly in 2022, continuing its uninterrupted growth trend seen since 2010 when it expanded employment by 59.6%. In 2022 alone, it grew by 4.5%, adding a net of 2,784 jobs to the Kansas economy. The warehousing sector was the industry's largest, employing 23,960 workers in 2022 after increasing by 1,802 workers, an 8.1% year-over-year growth rate. Truck transportation was the largest sector prior to 2019 but contracted by 210 workers in 2021 with a rebound of 288 workers in 2022. Finally, courier and messenger employment growth saw its first decline since 2010, declining by 39 workers. Average annual wages in the industry grew by 7.3 to $53,462. Wage growth was rapid in both air transport and transit and ground passenger transportation, respectively increasing to $76,349 (28.6% growth) and $30,555 (15.3% growth). In fact, all sectors of transportation and warehousing saw wage increases in 2022.
News and Developments
- The Biden administration awarded Kansas $38M in grant funds via the RAISE program. $21M of the funds will used for infrastructure improvements in Eudora, while the remaining $17M will be used to repair about 27 miles of road within the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in rural Northeast Kansas.
- As of August 2023, the largest KDOT infrastructure project to day is a $47M Grading, Bridge, and Surfacing project on Highway 24 in Shawnee County Kansas. The contract was awarded to Koss Construction.
- In June 2023, the Wichita Airport Authority announced new direct flight services to Phoenix, Miami, and Washington D.C.
- In August 2023, Overland Park-based Yellow Corp. announced plans to file for bankruptcy. The company managed a market cap of $187M and employed over 30,000 people.
- The $1.5B renovation of the Kansas City Airport (MCI) was completed in February of 2023. The renovation is the airport’s first in 51 years and is intended to spur business in the Kansas City region.
