LINCOLN - Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for April 2023 is 2.0 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is down 0.1 percentage points from the March 2023 rate of 2.1 percent and is the same as the April 2022 rate of 2.0 percent.  The rate is second lowest in the country. National unemployment rate rankings are available here: bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm.   

“The April statewide unemployment rate tied the historical low,” said Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin. “The state’s labor force reached a new all-time high for the second straight month.”

The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force are based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.  Both individuals who are claiming unemployment benefits and those who are not claiming can be counted as unemployed based on their survey responses. Individuals who are not working and are not seeking work are not considered part of the labor force and are not included in the unemployment rate calculation.

Nonfarm employment, a count of filled jobs, was 1,041,662 in April, up 3,851 over the month and up 20,439 over the year.  Private industries with the most growth month to month were mining and construction (up 1,887 jobs); leisure and hospitality (up 930 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (up 814 jobs). Private industries with the most over the year growth were public education and health services (up 5,074 jobs), leisure and hospitality service (up 4,689 jobs), and mining and construction (up 3,912 jobs).

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2023 is 3.4 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the March 2023 rate of 3.5 percent.  This rate is down 0.2 percentage points from the April 2022 rate of 3.6 percent.

May 2023 Nebraska employment data will be published Friday, June 16, 2023.

Employers looking for qualified applicants are encouraged to post their jobs for free on NEworks.nebraska.gov and partner with their closest job center to take advantage of programs geared at recruiting, upskilling, and expanding their workforce.

More employment data is available at dol.nebraska.gov/INFOlink.  NDOL press releases are accessible here: dol.nebraska.gov/PressRelease