Nebraska unemployment rate up slightly, according to new data

Nebraska has dropped in a national ranking of states for low unemployment, dipping to a three-way tie for fourth place with a 2.2% unemployment rate.

That’s according to September data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At times around the start of the year and more recently, Nebraska’s unemployment rate was the lowest or tied for the lowest on record for any state.

Today, nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 3.5%.

More than 1 million employed

Friday’s data release shows Nebraska with a 2.2% seasonally adjusted rate for September. That compares with 2.1% a month ago and 2.5% a year ago. Six months ago, it was 1.9%.

Nebraska Labor Director John Albin said Friday that workforce participation is up over last year and that over 1 million Nebraskans have been employed consistently since August 2020.

“The number of unemployed workers is down 2,000 compared to a year ago, and we continue to see an uptick in people re-entering the labor force,” said Albin.

Local labor officials report that nonfarm employment, a count of filled jobs, was 1,034,979 in September, up 6,803 compared to August and up 26,650 compared to last September.

Growth in education, health services

Private industries with the most growth since last September were education and health services (up 5,229); professional and business services (up 5,150); and trade, transportation and utilities (up 5,137). 

In calculating unemployment rates, labor officials look at a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status. Individuals who claim unemployment benefits and those who aren’t claiming them can both be counted as unemployed depending on their survey responses. 

Individuals who are not working and are not seeking work are not considered part of the labor force and are not included in the unemployment rate calculation.

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