Nebraska Unemployment Rates — Counties, Cities & Metro Areas — May 2026

Data: BLS LAUS  Updated: May 2026  • National rate: 4.3%

3.3%
Area Average
16.9%
Highest Rate
2.2%
Lowest Rate
4.3%
US National

Unemployment Snapshot: Nebraska — May 2026

Across 100 tracked locations in Nebraska, the average unemployment rate stands at 3.3% as of May 2026. This is 1 pp below the national average of 4.3%.

Highest Unemployment

  1. Dawson County, NE — 16.9%
  2. Hooker County, NE — 5.1%
  3. Thomas County, NE — 5.0%

Lowest Unemployment

  1. Dundy County, NE — 2.2%
  2. Brown County, NE — 2.3%
  3. Harlan County, NE — 2.3%

Employment has softened this month: 66 locations recorded a month-over-month increase versus 22 that decreased. Arrows indicate change from previous month.

Interactive Unemployment Heat Map: Nebraska Counties & Cities

Click or hover a location on the map to see unemployment details. Use the buttons in the table below to zoom to a specific area.

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Unemployment Rates for Selected Locations in Nebraska
Location Current
May 2026
Prev.
Month
6 Months
Ago
1 Year
Ago
Adams County, NE 3.4%3.6%2.5%2.8%
Antelope County, NE 3.3%3.1%2.5%2.7%
Arthur County, NE 2.8%2.7%2.9%2.8%
Banner County, NE 3.5%3.2%3.4%3.3%
Bellevue, NE 3.8%3.7%3.1%3.3%
Blaine County, NE 3.1%2.3%2.5%2.5%
Boone County, NE 2.5%2.2%2.1%2.1%
Box Butte County, NE 3.3%3.3%2.9%2.6%
Boyd County, NE 3.9%3.8%2.4%4.1%
Brown County, NE 2.3%2.2%2.2%2.0%
Buffalo County, NE 2.8%2.5%2.4%2.0%
Burt County, NE 3.9%3.6%3.2%3.3%
Butler County, NE 2.5%2.5%2.5%2.1%
Cass County, NE 3.2%3.3%2.8%3.1%
Cedar County, NE 2.8%2.7%2.4%2.0%
Chase County, NE 2.7%2.4%2.6%2.6%
Cherry County, NE 2.4%2.3%2.2%1.9%
Cheyenne County, NE 3.0%3.3%2.8%2.2%
Clay County, NE 3.9%4.0%2.6%3.1%
Colfax County, NE 3.0%2.8%2.6%2.7%
Cuming County, NE 2.6%2.4%2.2%2.0%
Custer County, NE 2.9%2.6%2.5%2.0%
Dakota County, NE 4.3%4.4%2.6%3.8%
Dawes County, NE 3.1%2.9%2.6%2.3%
Dawson County, NE 16.9%3.4%2.8%2.9%
Deuel County, NE 3.5%2.9%3.4%3.2%
Dixon County, NE 3.1%2.9%2.5%2.5%
Dodge County, NE 3.4%3.1%2.8%2.9%
Douglas County, NE 3.6%3.6%3.1%3.2%
Dundy County, NE 2.2%1.9%2.1%2.0%
Fillmore County, NE 2.4%2.5%2.1%1.9%
Franklin County, NE 2.8%2.9%2.2%2.5%
Fremont, NE 3.3%3.0%2.8%2.8%
Frontier County, NE 3.5%3.0%3.2%3.1%
Furnas County, NE 2.8%2.7%2.5%2.7%
Gage County, NE 3.2%3.0%3.0%2.6%
Garden County, NE 3.9%4.4%3.3%2.9%
Garfield County, NE 2.9%3.1%3.2%2.9%
Gosper County, NE 4.4%3.2%3.1%2.9%
Grand Island, NE 4.1%5.7%3.0%5.3%
Grant County, NE 2.6%3.0%2.7%3.0%
Greeley County, NE 3.4%4.3%3.2%2.9%
Hall County, NE 3.9%5.4%2.9%4.9%
Hamilton County, NE 2.6%3.2%2.3%2.0%
Harlan County, NE 2.3%2.2%2.4%1.9%
Hastings, NE 3.4%3.7%2.5%2.9%
Hayes County, NE 3.2%2.9%3.1%2.9%
Hitchcock County, NE 3.4%3.2%2.7%2.8%
Holt County, NE 2.5%2.2%2.2%2.1%
Hooker County, NE 5.1%5.3%3.4%7.8%
Howard County, NE 2.6%3.9%2.2%2.4%
Jefferson County, NE 3.4%3.1%3.3%2.7%
Johnson County, NE 4.2%4.1%3.6%3.9%
Kearney, NE 2.8%2.5%2.4%2.1%
Kearney County, NE 2.7%2.6%2.5%2.1%
Keith County, NE 2.9%2.9%2.3%2.4%
Keya Paha County, NE 4.4%3.3%3.6%3.0%
Kimball County, NE 2.5%2.7%2.5%2.3%
Knox County, NE 3.3%3.3%2.8%3.0%
Lancaster County, NE 3.2%3.1%2.7%2.6%
Lincoln, NE 3.3%3.1%2.7%2.6%
Lincoln County, NE 2.9%2.9%2.6%2.5%
Logan County, NE 3.0%2.5%3.0%2.6%
Loup County, NE 3.9%3.6%3.7%4.3%
Madison County, NE 3.3%3.1%2.5%2.7%
McPherson County, NE 4.7%4.6%4.5%3.5%
Merrick County, NE 2.7%3.5%2.3%2.1%
Morrill County, NE 3.4%3.0%2.8%2.3%
Nance County, NE 2.8%2.6%2.3%2.5%
Nemaha County, NE 3.8%3.4%3.0%2.9%
Nuckolls County, NE 3.0%3.0%2.4%2.4%
Omaha, NE 3.7%3.8%3.3%3.4%
Otoe County, NE 3.3%3.2%2.6%2.6%
Pawnee County, NE 3.2%3.3%3.2%2.7%
Perkins County, NE 2.5%2.2%2.3%2.2%
Phelps County, NE 2.6%2.3%2.2%2.1%
Pierce County, NE 2.9%2.7%2.2%2.6%
Platte County, NE 2.8%2.7%2.5%2.5%
Polk County, NE 2.8%2.8%2.5%2.4%
Red Willow County, NE 2.6%2.5%2.5%2.1%
Richardson County, NE 2.7%2.6%2.6%2.6%
Rock County, NE 2.4%2.1%2.6%2.1%
Saline County, NE 4.5%4.3%2.8%3.3%
Sarpy County, NE 3.2%3.2%2.8%2.7%
Saunders County, NE 2.7%2.7%2.5%2.2%
Scotts Bluff County, NE 4.0%4.0%3.2%3.4%
Seward County, NE 2.9%2.4%2.4%2.3%
Sheridan County, NE 2.6%2.4%2.5%1.9%
Sherman County, NE 3.1%3.1%2.5%2.6%
Sioux County, NE 3.8%3.4%2.7%2.3%
Stanton County, NE 2.8%2.7%2.4%2.5%
Thayer County, NE 2.8%2.4%2.5%2.2%
Thomas County, NE 5.0%5.5%4.0%3.8%
Thurston County, NE 3.2%3.0%2.8%2.9%
Valley County, NE 2.6%2.5%2.2%2.8%
Washington County, NE 3.0%2.8%2.7%2.5%
Wayne County, NE 3.0%2.7%2.7%2.3%
Webster County, NE 3.3%3.0%2.7%2.8%
Wheeler County, NE 2.7%2.1%2.8%2.6%
York County, NE 2.8%2.5%2.5%2.3%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current unemployment rate in Nebraska?

As of May 2026, the average unemployment rate across 100 tracked locations in Nebraska is 3.3%. Individual locations range from 2.2% to 16.9%. Click any location on the map or table to explore sub-area data.

Which areas in Nebraska have the highest unemployment?

The three locations with the highest unemployment rates in Nebraska as of May 2026 are: Dawson County (16.9%), Hooker County (5.1%), Thomas County (5.0%). These areas are highlighted in red/pink on the heat map.

Which areas have the lowest unemployment?

The lowest unemployment rates in Nebraska are found in: Dundy County (2.2%), Brown County (2.3%), Harlan County (2.3%). These locations appear in blue on the heat map.

How does Nebraska compare to the national unemployment rate?

The U.S. national unemployment rate for May 2026 is 4.3%. This is 1 pp below the national average of 4.3%.

How often is unemployment data updated?

Local area unemployment data is published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, typically 3–4 weeks after the end of the reference month. This page reflects data released for May 2026. Figures may be subject to revision in subsequent releases.

Data Source & Methodology

Unemployment data on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, part of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Program
Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
Publisher
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Data Period
May 2026
Release Frequency
Monthly (typically 3–4 weeks after the reference month)
Geography
States, metropolitan areas, counties, and sub-county places
Methodology
LAUS uses a signal-extraction model at the state level derived from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Sub-state estimates for metropolitan areas, counties, and places are produced using complementary methods including input from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program and unemployment insurance (UI) claims data.
Direct Links
BLS LAUS HomeLAUS Data TablesBLS Data Finder

Data is subject to revision. Figures reflect not seasonally adjusted rates unless otherwise noted. ZipDataMaps.com is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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