 Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for December rose a tenth of a point to a seasonally adjusted 2.6%.Â
That’s up 3-10ths of a point from a year ago, but still good at the 6th-lowest rate in the country. It’s also nearly a point under the national rate for December of 3.5%
Omaha, Nebraska’s largest city, came in at 2.5%, up a tenth a point from November and 3-10ths from 2021, while Lincoln’s rate of 2.1% was unchanged for the month but half a point higher than a year ago.
Grand Island had a December jobless rate of 2.4%, up 2-10ths from November and half a point from 2021. The Scottsbluff micropolitan statistical area saw its rate go up 4-10ths of a point to 2.9%, 9-10ths of a point higher than the year before.
Statewide numbers are adjusted for seasonal factors while the local numbers are not, making comparisons between the two meaningless.
Nebraska’s nonfarm employment continued its 2-plus year run of more than a million jobs in December with 1,036, 683 filled jobs.
Labor Commissioner John Albin says that’s up 3% or nearly 31,000 for the year, the largest December to December growth since 1984, although it is down 1,301 from November.
Private industry sectors with the most growth from 2021 were Mining and Construction (up 6,481); Leisure and Hospitality (up 5,041); and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 3,933).
Bucking the monthly drop and adding jobs from November were Financial Activities (up 1,088); Manufacturing (up 440); and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 363).