Nebraska Unemployment Rate Holds Steady as Mining and Construction Drive September Job Growth
At-a-Glance
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Nebraska Unemployment Rate (September 2026): |
National Unemployment Rate (September 2026): |
Nebraska Labor Force: (September 2026) |
State Unemployment Rate
Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for September 2026 is 2.9 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is unchanged from the August 2026 unemployment rate and the same as the September 2025 rate.
The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2026 is 4.2 percent, up 0.1 percentage points from the August 2026 unemployment rate and is down 0.2 percentage points from the September 2025 unemployment rate. National unemployment rate rankings are available here.
Mining and Construction Continuing to Grow Over-the-Year
“Nebraska saw strong job growth in September, driven by the mining and construction sectors, which added nearly 4,900 jobs compared to last year,” said Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber. “We’re also seeing encouraging gains across several other key industries.”
Total Non-farm Employment up OTY and OTM
Total non-farm employment was 1,064,797 in September, up 4,117 over the month and up 3,411 over the year. The largest monthly gains occurred in other services (up 262 jobs), manufacturing (up 189 jobs), and private education and health services (up 109 jobs). Over the year, the largest gains were in mining and construction (up 4,899 jobs), private education and health services (up 3,770 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 2,433 jobs).
Top 3 Private Over-the-Month Positive Changes |
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Industries |
Number Growth |
Percent Growth |
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Other Services |
262 |
0.7% |
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Manufacturing |
189 |
0.2% |
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Private Education & Health Services |
109 |
0.1% |
Top 3 Private Over-the-Year Positive Changes |
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Industries |
Number Growth |
Percent Growth |
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Mining & Construction |
4,899 |
7.4% |
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Private Education & Health Services |
3,770 |
2.2% |
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Leisure & Hospitality |
2,433 |
2.4% |
Data Release Schedule
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Release Date |
Data to be Released |
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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.