Nebraska Jobless Rate Down A Tenth Of A Point To 2.5%

      Nebraska’s unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a point last month to 2.5%, one of the lowest rates in the nation. That’s more than 4 full points less that the 6.6% jobless rate last June in the heat of the coronavirus pandemic. 

      The rates for Nebraska’s 3 metropolitan statistical areas all rose from May but fell sharply from a year ago.

     . Lincoln was up 3-10ths of a point at 2.5% and Grand Island’s rate rose 4-10ths to 2.8% after both had been at 4.3% last June. Omaha jumped a half-point from May to 3.2%, which is still 4.4-point lower than last year. 

       The Scottsbluff micropolitan statistical area came in at an even 3% in June, up a half a point from May but 2.8-points better than last year. 

   The state jobless rate is adjusted for seasonal factors while the local rates are not, making comparisons between the two meaningless. 

       Nonfarm employment in Nebraska was 1,018,392 in June with 4,987 more people working than in May and 46,112 more than last year.

    The private industry sectors adding the most jobs for the month were Leisure and Hospitality (5,046), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (2,127), and Mining and Construction (1,282).

      Leisure and Hospitality also showed the most growth since last June (14,901), followed by Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (7,610), and Education and Health, (up 6,172).  

       The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for the country was 5.9% in June, up a tenth a point from May but 5.2% lower than a year ago.