Residents sometimes refer to Manhattan as “The Little Apple,” to distinguish the little town from its more famous island cousin out East. Economically speaking, there’s no danger in confusing the two: New York City is gaining jobs. Manhattan, Kan., is losing them.
Look past its low 5.0 percent unemployment rate. Never mind that it’s home to Kansas State University and its 23,000 students or that Fort Riley, a large US Army post, is close by. Ignore all those awards from CNN and Money Magazine (one of the top places to retire young in 2007) and Forbes magazine (best small community for a business and career in 2011). The region lost 2,000 jobs between April 2011 and April 2012 – a 3.5 percent decline.
In a high profile blow to the region, the Obama administration earlier this year cut $40 million in construction money for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility slated for the metro. The facility was to replace the Plum Island Animal Disease Center currently located across the country, at the tip of New York’s Long Island.
