LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in June at 3 percent, the state said in a report released Friday.
The preliminary June rate matched the May rate and was two-tenths of a point higher than the June 2018 rate of 2.8 percent, the Nebraska Labor Department said.
The new Nebraska rate was well below June’s national preliminary rate of 3.7 percent — up a tenth of a point from 3.6 percent in May.
Several industries, including mining, construction and financial activities, reached record high employment levels last month.
Nonfarm employment was 1,040,404 in June, up 5,978 over the year and up 481 over the month, the report said. Private industries with the most growth year over year were mining and construction, up 1,969; professional and business services, up 1,376; and financial activities, up 1,009. The largest gains month to month were seen in leisure and hospitality, up 1,741; professional and business services, up 1,598; and mining and construction, up 1,474.
The preliminary Omaha-area rate for June hit 3.3 percent, up three-tenths of a point from May’s revised figure of 3 percent, the report said. The year-ago June figure was 3.1 percent. Lincoln’s preliminary rate also rose to 3.3 percent, compared with 2.8 percent in May. The figure in June 2018 was 2.8 percent. Grand Island’s preliminary rate hit 3.4 percent, four-tenths of a point higher than in May. The year-ago June figure was 3 percent.
The unemployment rates for Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha have not been seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared with the state unemployment rate.
Here are preliminary area labor market unemployment rates for June, followed by the May rates:
— Beatrice: 3.5, 3.1
— Columbus: 3.3, 3.0
— Fremont: 3.2, 2.9
— Hastings: 3.6, 2.9
— Kearney: 3.1, 2.7
— Lexington: 3.2, 2.8
— Norfolk: 3.1, 2.7
— North Platte: 3.7, 3.2
— Red Willow: 3.5, 2.9
— Scottsbluff: 3.9, 3.6
