LINCOLN- Nebraska's unemployment rate recently dropped from a pandemic-era high of more than 8% three years ago to 2% according to data released last Friday by the Department of Labor. The new number puts Nebraska in the top national ranking for unemployment, with labor officials saying this number ties with Nebraska's historic low. Nationally, Nebraska's unemployment rate is the second lowest among states, with only South Dakota lower at 1.9%.

State Labor Commissioner John Albin noted that the number of Nebraskans in the labor force hit another record as well. "The state's labor force reached a new all-time high for the second straight month," said Albin, citing data that suggests that around 1,061,392 Nebraskans are currently employed or actively searching for a job.

Despite this growth, state Chamber of Commerce leaders still believe, because of Nebraska's 80,000 unfilled jobs, that more work needs to be done to retain and attract workers. Ernie Gross, an economist at Creighton University, also foresees potential challenges. According to Gross, Nebraska's high labor participation rate, juxtaposed with a relatively low supply of workers available to fill new openings, might mean big problems in growing the state's economy in the future.

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