Nebraska unemployment rate continues to improve

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Unemployment claim numbers in Nebraska continue to remain some of the lowest in the country. A Wallet-Hub study ranks Nebraska 12th among states with the highest unemployment claims decrease.

“We have so many essential businesses that our unemployment even during the pandemic was significantly less than other communities who don’t have the essential services, the essential companies here in Grand Island,” said Cindy Johnson, President of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce.

The study collected data from 2019 to 2022 and Nebraska ranks near the top with three claims per 100,000 cases.

“So often times we think of workforce expansion as one company that comes in and hires 25, or 30 or 40 people,” Johnson said. “What we see in Grand Island more often than not is that quiet growth of existing businesses; businesses that are hiring two, or five, or 10 people.”

Nebraska also has seen a 59% decrease in unemployment claims within the past year. The next generation of business owners in Central Nebraska will be entrepreneurs looking to fill a community void.

“That’s an area that Grand Island had been pretty quiet in and on for the last several years,” Johnson said. “We’re seeing that expand now and it’s just really exciting. We have individuals who are looking to provide solutions for business that are IT related.”

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