Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August is 2.8 percent, seasonally adjusted. The jobless rate is up 0.1 percentage points from the July rate, but down 0.4 percentage points from the August 2014 rate of 3.2 percent.

“Nonfarm employment has again reached over 1 million,” said Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin. “The Lincoln, Omaha and Grand Island metropolitan areas all saw declines in their unemployment rates from July to August.”

Nonfarm employment in August was 1,004,067, up by 9,953 compared to last August.  Private industries with the most growth year over year were education and health services (up 4,475), other services (up 2,121) and leisure and hospitality (up 1,546).  Month to month, the largest gains were seen in trade, transporation and utilities (up 1,969) and education and health services (up 1,386) and manufacturing (up 746).

The seasonally-adjusted national unemployment rate for August is 5.1 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the July rate and down 1.0 percentage points from the August 2014 rate of 6.1 percent.

September 2015 data will be published Tuesday, October 20.