January 25, 2022
Summary
Nebraska lost 1,100 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 1.7 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Nebraska added 23,700 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 1.7 percentage points from 3.4 percent.
In December, Nebraska’s private sector lost 1,700 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 22,000 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 1,000 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 19,421.
Nebraska’s labor force participation rate rose to 68.5 percent in December from 68.4 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate fell by 0.2 percentage point.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Nebraska Payroll Employment
Nebraska lost 1,100 net payroll jobs, or -0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Nebraska added 1,600 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Nebraska added 23,700 payroll jobs, or 2.4 percent. Nebraska nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Nebraska is tied for 39th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Nebraska’s private-sector lost 1,700 jobs, or approximately -0.2 percent. The private-sector in Nebraska added 1,900 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Nebraska added 22,000, or 2.6 percent. Nebraska private-sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Nebraska is tied for 43rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Government (600) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (500). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Leisure and Hospitality (-600) and Professional and Business Services (-2,100).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Leisure and Hospitality (9,100) and Education and Health Services (4,400). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Construction (-200) and Financial Activities (-1,700).
Nebraska Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Nebraska rose to 68.5 percent in December from 68.4 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 68.5 percent, Nebraska is tied for 2nd in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Nebraska fell by 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Nebraska was 72 percent last occurring in November 2012. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Nebraska last occurred in August 2004 when the labor force participation rate hit 74.1 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 68.3 percent , last occurring in May 2021. The series low for the labor force participation rate in Nebraska last occurred in May 1976 when the labor force participation rate hit 64.8 percent.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Nebraska civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 67.4 from 67.2 percent in the prior month. At 67.4 percent, Nebraska ranks 1st among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Nebraska rose by 1 percentage point from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Nebraska was 69.2 percent last occurring in December 2012. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Nebraska last occurred in September 1996 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 71.5 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 65.6 percent in April 2020. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Nebraska occurred in March 1976 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 62.6 percent.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.