Nebraska unemployment rate lowest for any state ever recorded

Nebraska recorded the lowest unemployment rate seen by any U.S. state in recorded history last month, according to state data.

Nebraska recorded an unemployment rate of only 1.9 percent in October, according to information released last week by the Nebraska Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Spokespeople for both Nebraska’s labor department and the BLS confirmed to The Associated Press that Nebraska’s October unemployment rate marked the first time a state’s rate has fallen below 2 percent.

The AP noted that Nebraska has maintained its status as the U.S. state with the lowest unemployment for much of the pandemic. States like Nebraska tend to have lower unemployment rates due to factors such as fewer people per job, more jobs in essential areas like agriculture and state polices that discourage unemployment.

However, Nebraska has also had to deal with a chronic worker shortage since before the COVID-19 began.

Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, told the AP that “a lot of manufacturers across the state that are finding it difficult to expand their operations” in response to rising demand for workers. 

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) commended his state’s achievement in a statement.

“Nebraska has achieved the lowest unemployment rate of any state in history,” said Ricketts. “The record rate is a sign of our strong job growth, successful reemployment services, and extraordinary economic resilience. Nebraska has plenty of great-paying career opportunities for anyone looking to enjoy the Good Life!”

The national, seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the U.S. was 4.6 percent in October, according to BLS, marking a drop of 0.2 percent.