LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) announced today that Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for March was 2.6 percent, seasonally adjusted. The jobless rate is down 0.1 percentage points from the February rate of 2.7 percent and down 0.8 percentage points from the March 2014 rate of 3.4 percent.

“Nebraska has not seen an unemployment rate of 2.6 since 1998,” said Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin.  “Ninety-one counties experienced a lower unemployment rate in March than they had in March 2014.  Non-farm employment saw another significant year-to-year increase and the labor force continues to hold above 1 million.”

Nonfarm employment reached 993,453 in March and is up by over 12,000 compared to last March.  Private industries with the most growth year over year were education and health services (up 3,558), professional and business services (up 1,479) and financial activities (up 1,293).  Month to month, the largest gains were seen in trade, transportation and utilities (up 1,626), professional and business services (up 1,072), and education and health services (up 990).

The seasonally-adjusted national unemployment rate in March was 5.5 percent, unchanged from February and down 1.1 percentage points from the March 2014 rate of 6.6 percent.

April 2015 data will be published Wednesday, May 27.