Unemployment Rate Dips Slightly

Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for April 2026 is 3.0 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is down 0.1 percent from the March 2026 unemployment rate and up 0.1 percent over the year.

“Our state’s workforce keeps showing its strength and adaptability,” said Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber. “It’s clear that Nebraskans are committed to their work and contributing to a stable, resilient state economy.”

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2026 is 4.3 percent, unchanged from the April 2026 unemployment rate and up 0.1 percent from the April 2025 unemployment rate. National unemployment rate rankings are available here.

Benchmarked substate labor force data for 2016-2025 is now available at NEworks.nebraska.gov.

Total Non-Farm Employment:
Non-farm employment, the number of jobs filled, was 1,057,727 in April, up 10,330 over the month and down 4,072 over the year. All of the metro areas, as well as rural Nebraska, saw growth in the number from March to April. Private industries with the most over-the-month growth were leisure and hospitality (up 3,540 jobs); mining and construction; (up 2,049 jobs); and trade, transportation and utilities (up 1,326 jobs).  The largest over-the-year growth came from private education and health services (up 3,756 jobs), and mining and construction (up 2,576 jobs).