LINCOLN, Neb.—Nebraska’s unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percentage point, from 5 percent in June to 4.9 percent in July.
Nebraska is tied with South Dakota for the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation, behind North Dakota’s 4.2 percent. The national rate was 9.4 percent in July.
A news release from the state Department of Labor on Friday said the region with the highest unemployment is the Panhandle, at 5.5 percent; central Nebraska had the lowest, at 4.5 percent.
Forty counties saw a drop in unemployment, 41 had increases and the rates for 12 were unchanged.
State figures show Nebraska’s estimated seasonally adjusted labor force in July was 980,508. Of them, 48,346 were listed as unemployed. The net unemployment decrease for July was 831.
But there were 15,742 more jobless people in the state than in July 2008, when the unemployment rate was 3.3 percent.
For Lincoln, July’s estimated unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent from June’s revised figure of 4.8 percent. The rate was 3.4 percent a year ago.
Omaha’s estimated July rate was 5.3 percent, down from the revised June figure of 5.4 percent. The rate was 3.8 percent in July 2008.
Omaha and Lincoln unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted and are not compared with the state unemployment rate.
Here are the state labor market areas’ preliminary rates for July, followed by the revised June rates:
Market area: July/June
Beatrice: 5.9/5.7
Columbus: 3.8/4.1
Fremont: 5.0/5.0
Grand Island: 4.6/4.6
Hastings: 5.8/5.6
Kearney: 4.0/4.2
Lexington: 5.0/4.9
Norfolk: 4.1/4.2
North Platte: 4.5/4.4
Red Willow: 6.0/5.8
Scotts Bluff: 4.7/5.0
———
On the Net:
Nebraska Department of Labor:
