The Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) announced today that Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August was 3.1 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate was unchanged from the July 2019 rate and is up 0.4 percentage points from the August 2018 rate of 2.7 percent.

"The number of people employed in the state reached a record level for the eighth straight month,” said Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin. "This number has topped 1 million since March.”

Nonfarm employment was 1,033,990 in August, up by 8,771 over the year and up by 1,234 over the month. Private industries with the most growth year over year were mining and construction (up 2,655), professional and business services (up 2,461) and education and health (1,629). Month to month, the largest gains were seen in education and health (up 1,238), mining and construction (up 917), and professional and business services (up 86).

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 3.7 percent, unchanged from the July 2019 rate of 3.7 percent and down 0.1 percentage points from the August 2018 rate of 3.8 percent.

For more August 2019 data, go to dol.nebraska.gov/InfoLink. Nonfarm employment data can be found at NEworks.nebraska.gov/CES and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data can be found at NEworks.nebraska.gov/LAUS.

September 2019 Nebraska data will be published Friday, October 18.