Private Education and Health Services Leads August Job Growth as Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9 Percent

Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August 2026 is 2.9 percent, seasonally adjusted. The rate is unchanged from the July 2026 unemployment rate and the same as the August 2025 rate.

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2026 is 4.1 percent, unchanged from the July 2026 unemployment rate and is down 0.2 percent from the August 2025 unemployment rate. 

“Private education and health services employment reached another all-time high in August, growing by more than 4,000 jobs over the year,” said Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber. “Statewide employment in the industry reached over 177,000.”

Of the 1,005 jobs added over the month, 700 were in health care and social assistance, including 358 in Omaha. Educational services added another 305 jobs, with growth concentrated in Omaha and Nebraska’s nonmetropolitan areas.

Total non-farm employment was 1,061,019 in August, down 519 over the month and up 839 over the year. The largest monthly gains occurred in private education and health services (up 1,005 jobs), mining and construction (up 399 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 135 jobs).  Over the year, the largest gains were in mining and construction (up 4,293 jobs), private education and health services (up 4,005 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 3,173 jobs).