Nebraska Labor Force Demonstrates Strength with Low Unemployment and Robust Participation

Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for March 2026 is 3.1 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is unchanged from the February 2026 unemployment rate and up 0.2 percent over the year.

“Nebraska’s workers and employers are engaged, building careers and fueling economic growth across the state,” said Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber. “We continue to see over a million people employed, a low unemployment rate, and one of the highest labor force participation rates in the nation.”

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March 2026 is 4.3 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the February 2026 unemployment rate and up 0.1 percent from the March 2025 unemployment rate. National unemployment rate rankings are available here.

Total Non-Farm Employment:
Non-farm employment, the number of jobs filled, was 1,048,039 in March, up 7,697 over the month and down 2,065 over the year.  Private industries with the most over-the-month growth were leisure and hospitality (up 2,861 jobs), mining and construction, (up 2,536 jobs), and professional and business services (up 1,544 jobs).  The largest over-the-year growth came from mining and construction (up 3,678 jobs), private education and health services (up 3,640 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 259 jobs).