Nebraska’s June Unemployment Rate is 2.9 Percent

At-a-Glance:

Nebraska's Workforce Shows Resilience:

Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for June 2026 is 2.9 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is down from May 2026 unemployment rate and unchanged over the year.

"Nebraska reached a record high in total nonfarm employment, demonstrating the ongoing strength of our labor market and employers’ confidence in Nebraska workers," said Commissioner Katie Thurber. "This achievement reflects the continued efforts of businesses and workers statewide to advance Nebraska's economy.”

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June 2026 is 4.2 percent, down from the May 2026 unemployment rate and up 0.1 percent from the June 2025 unemployment rate. National unemployment rate rankings are available here.

Total Non-Farm Employment:

Nonfarm employment, the number of jobs filled, was 1,073,234 in June, up 5,895 over the month and up 946 over the year.  Private industries with the most over-the-month growth were leisure and hospitality (up 4,569 jobs), mining and construction, (up 1,350 jobs), and trade, transportation and utilities (up 1,157 jobs).  The largest over-the-year growth came from leisure and hospitality (up 5,360 jobs), private education and health services (up 3,800 jobs), and mining and construction (up 2,815).

Nebraska Industries by Over-the-Year Growth

Data Release Schedule:

Helpful Links:

• Nebraska Employment Data
• NEworks Labor Market Information
• NDOL Press Releases
• National Rate Rankings

Technical Notes:

The labor force includes employed individuals and those actively seeking work, as determined by a Census Bureau survey. People may be counted as unemployed regardless of whether they claim unemployment benefits, depending on their survey responses. Those not working or seeking employment are excluded from the labor force and the unemployment rate calculation.