LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) announced today that Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for November is 2.9 percent, seasonally adjusted. The jobless rate is the same as the October rate and down 0.2 percentage points from the November 2014 rate of 3.1 percent.

“Month to month, Nebraska’s labor force employment increased by 2,818, the largest increase since 1976,” said Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin.”  “The number of employed Nebraskans has increased for three months in a row.”

Total nonfarm employment in November was 1,018,252, up by 15,300 compared to last November.  Private industries with the most growth year over year were education and health services (up 5,444); trade, transportation and utilities (up 3,544); and financial activities (up 3,119).  Month to month, the largest gains were seen in trade, transportation and utilities (up 3,285); financial activities (up 1,065); and other services (up 489).

The seasonally-adjusted national unemployment rate for November is 5.0 percent, the same as the October rate and down 0.8 percentage points from the November 2014 rate of 5.8 percent.

December 2015 data will be published Tuesday, January 26.