Private Education and Health Services Leads August Job Growth as Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9 Percent
At-a-Glance
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Nebraska Unemployment Rate (August 2026): |
National Unemployment Rate (August 2026): |
Nebraska Labor Force: (August 2026) |
State Unemployment Rate
Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August 2026 is 2.9 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is unchanged from the July 2026 unemployment rate and the same as the August 2025 rate.
The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2026 is 4.1 percent, unchanged from the July 2026 unemployment rate and is down 0.2 percent from the August 2025 unemployment rate. National unemployment rate rankings are available here.
Record High Employment in Private Education and Health Services
“Private education and health services employment reached another all-time high in August, growing by more than 4,000 jobs over the year,” said Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber. “Statewide employment in the industry reached over 177,000.”
Of the 1,005 jobs added over the month, 700 were in health care and social assistance, including 358 in Omaha. Educational services added another 305 jobs, with growth concentrated in Omaha and Nebraska’s nonmetropolitan areas.
Total non-farm employment was 1,061,019 in August, down 519 over the month and up 839 over the year. The largest monthly gains occurred in private education and health services (up 1,005 jobs), mining and construction (up 399 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 135 jobs). Over the year, the largest gains were in mining and construction (up 4,293 jobs), private education and health services (up 4,005 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 3,173 jobs).
August Employment Growth by Industry
|
Statewide Industries |
Over-the-Month Change |
Over-the-Year Change |
|
Private Education & Health Services |
1,005 |
4,005 |
|
Mining & Construction |
399 |
4,293 |
|
Leisure & Hospitality |
135 |
3,173 |
Data Release Schedule
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Release Date |
Data to be Released |
|
October 20 |
September 2026 preliminary and August 2026 revised labor force and non-farm employment data |
|
November 20 |
October 2026 preliminary and September 2026 revised labor force and non-farm employment data |
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.