By Zach Wendling
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unemployment rate has held steady at 1.9%, tying with Vermont for the third lowest rate in the nation.
The Nebraska Department of Labor released preliminary data for June on Friday, with Nebraska’s rate remaining the same from May at the same time. The rate is down 0.3% since June 2022.
The national unemployment rate is 3.6%, dropping 0.1% over the month. New Hampshire and South Dakota edged Nebraska and Vermont for the lowest unemployment rates, tying at 1.8%. This is according to seasonally adjusted, preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
New Hampshire and South Dakota were tied with Nebraska for the lowest national rates last month based on May 2023 data.
John Albin, Nebraska’s labor commissioner, said this is the second consecutive month for a new high in filled jobs, largely attributed over the month to increases in the Omaha metropolitan area.
Today, Nebraska’s labor force includes 1,062,783 people — 1,042,324 employed workers and 20,458 people who are unemployed but seeking employment. Individuals who are not working and not seeking work are not considered part of the labor force.
A news release states June is the fourth straight month of record highs in the total labor force and number of employed workers.
A few private industries saw growth from month to month, such as leisure and hospitality (up 3,455 jobs), mining and construction (up 1,833 jobs) and trade, transportation and utilities (up 1,457 jobs).
The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force were based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.
State Unemployment
New Hampshire, 1.9%
South Dakota, 1.9%
Nebraska, 1.9%
Vermont, 1.9%
Maryland, 2%
North Dakota, 2%
Alabama, 2.2%
Maine, 2.4%
Montana, 2.4%
Utah, 2.4%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, seasonally adjusted, preliminary