LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.8 percent in September, a figure credited in part to a good month for the state’s manufacturing sector, the state Labor Department said Friday.
The rate was down a tenth of a point from the year-ago figure of 2.9 percent, the state report said.
“Manufacturing contributed to another strong month of employment numbers, with a 5 percent statewide employment increase in manufacturing over the year,” state Labor Commissioner John Albin said. “In the Omaha metropolitan area, manufacturing jumped over 9 percent over the year.”
Last month’s rate was well below the U.S. number, which dropped two-tenths of a point to 3.7 percent in September from 3.9 percent in August.
Nebraska nonfarm employment was 1,037,445, up 18,065 over the year and up 4,148 over the month, the department said.
Private industries with the most growth year on year were manufacturing, up 4,906; leisure and hospitality, up 4,736; and professional and business services, up 4,374.
Month to month, the largest gains were seen in professional and business services, up 982; manufacturing, up 448; and education and health services, up 48.
The preliminary Omaha-area rate for September declined to 2.6 percent from 2.8 in August. The new rate was a tenth of a point lower than the 2.7 percent of September 2017. Lincoln’s preliminary rate dropped two-tenths of a point, hitting 2.4 percent, compared with 2.6 percent in August. The year-ago figure was 2.5 percent. Grand Island’s preliminary rate for September was 2.6 percent, down two-tenths of a point from August’s 2.8 percent. The August 2017 figure also was 2.6 percent.
The unemployment rates for Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha have not been seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared with the state unemployment rate.
Here are preliminary area labor market unemployment rates for September, followed by the August rates:
- Beatrice: 2.7, 2.9
- Columbus: 2.4, 2.6
- Fremont: 2.5, 2.7
- Hastings: 2.7, 2.8
- Kearney: 2.2, 2.4
- Lexington: 2.4, 2.5
- Norfolk: 2.2, 2.4
- North Platte: 2.6, 2.8
- Red Willow: 2.5, 2.8
- Scottsbluff: 3.0, 3.1
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