Counties with the highest unemployment in Nebraska

2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.

Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.

The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Nebraska, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs

The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.

"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.

Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.

"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.

What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.

The big story: California wildfires still rage

Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.

However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Nebraska.

#50. York County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,224 people (184 unemployed)

#49. Saunders County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,601 people (285 unemployed)

#48. Platte County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,263 people (465 unemployed)

#47. Dodge County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,515 people (521 unemployed)

#46. Gosper County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,084 people (28 unemployed)

#45. Greeley County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,146 people (30 unemployed)

#44. Dixon County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,929 people (75 unemployed)

#43. Clay County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,996 people (77 unemployed)

#42. Knox County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,457 people (114 unemployed)

#41. Red Willow County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,735 people (148 unemployed)

#40. Seward County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,016 people (230 unemployed)

#39. Dawson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,149 people (338 unemployed)

#38. Adams County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,039 people (445 unemployed)

#37. Lincoln County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,921 people (459 unemployed)

#36. Lancaster County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 186,083 people (4,804 unemployed)

#35. Boyd County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 980 people (26 unemployed)

#34. Garfield County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,085 people (29 unemployed)

#33. Pawnee County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,387 people (37 unemployed)

#32. Frontier County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,506 people (40 unemployed)

#31. Saline County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,087 people (189 unemployed)

#30. Otoe County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,402 people (229 unemployed)

#29. Sarpy County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 101,692 people (2,765 unemployed)

#28. Grant County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 397 people (11 unemployed)

#27. Logan County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 435 people (12 unemployed)

#26. Brown County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,340 people (37 unemployed)

#25. Sherman County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,598 people (44 unemployed)

#24. Furnas County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,422 people (67 unemployed)

#23. Dawes County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,879 people (135 unemployed)

#22. Box Butte County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,249 people (148 unemployed)

#21. Colfax County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,753 people (159 unemployed)

#20. Hall County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,755 people (957 unemployed)

#19. Gage County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,759 people (307 unemployed)

#18. Dakota County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,806 people (313 unemployed)

#17. Cass County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,841 people (398 unemployed)

#16. Scotts Bluff County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,709 people (521 unemployed)

#15. Douglas County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 311,242 people (9,131 unemployed)

#14. Garden County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,015 people (30 unemployed)

#13. Webster County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,618 people (49 unemployed)

#12. Thurston County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,285 people (98 unemployed)

#11. Richardson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,938 people (120 unemployed)

#10. Cheyenne County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,155 people (123 unemployed)

#9. Hooker County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 358 people (11 unemployed)

#8. Nemaha County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,547 people (111 unemployed)

#7. Banner County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 376 people (12 unemployed)

#6. Arthur County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 209 people (7 unemployed)

#5. Hitchcock County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,212 people (40 unemployed)

#4. Johnson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,949 people (66 unemployed)

#3. Loup County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 371 people (13 unemployed)

#2. Blaine County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 233 people (9 unemployed)

#1. Thomas County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 406 people (16 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.