Nebraska unemployment improves to 4.7 percent in July, remains third-lowest in the nation

Nebraska unemployment falls to 4.7 percent in July

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s unemployment rate improved to 4.7 percent in July, and the state’s rate remains the third-lowest in the nation.

The state Labor Department said Friday that July’s unemployment rate is an improvement on than June’s revised 4.9 percent rate, and Nebraska’s unemployment is less than half the national rate of 9.5 percent.

Labor Commissioner Catherine Lang says the unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since January. Only North Dakota’s 3.6 percent and South Dakota’s 4.4 percent unemployment rates are lower than Nebraska’s.

Nebraska’s July unemployment is slightly lower than the July 2009 rate of 4.8 percent. The national rate is slightly higher than in July 2009 when the rate was 9.4 percent.

The state said three sectors reported job growth: Professional and business services added 1,012 jobs; mining, logging and construction added 837 jobs and other services added 578 jobs.

The number of people employed in the state dropped to 932,302 in July from June’s 936,296.

The total labor force also declined to 978,390 in July from 984,068 in June.

The unemployment rate improved in Omaha, the state’s largest city. The rate declined to 5.3 percent in July from 5.5 percent in June. A year ago, the Omaha rate was 5.2 percent in July 2009.

And unemployment improved to 4.2 percent in Lincoln in July from June’s 4.7 percent. In July 2009, the rate in the capital city of Lincoln was 4.6 percent.

Unemployment rates for Omaha and Lincoln are not seasonally adjusted and cannot be compared to the state unemployment rate.

Here are the preliminary labor market rates for July, followed by the revised June rates:

— Beatrice: 5.2, 5.2

— Columbus: 4.0, 4.2

— Fremont: 5.2, 5.4

— Grand Island: 4.2, 4.5

— Hastings: 4.3, 4.9

— Kearney: 3.2, 3.8

— Lexington: 5.1, 5.4

— Norfolk: 4.1, 4.5

— North Platte: 4.1, 4.3

— Red Willow: 3.9, 4.3

— Scotts Bluff: 5.2, 5.6

Online:

Nebraska Department of Labor: www.dol.nebraska.gov