TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

AUG 2015

Current Population Survey - DEFINITIONS & DEMOGRAPHICS Labor Availability Spotlight - ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS Fast Facts - BACK TO SCHOOL

2

Table of Contents

JUNE UNEMPLOYMENT DATA

FAST FACTS

MAP FACTS

CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY:

DEFINITIONS & DEMOGRAPHICS

OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS

LABOR AVAILABILITY SPOTLIGHT:

ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

3

4

6

9

12

14

18

Helpful Links

Unemployment in Brief

Monthly Unemployment Rate

Previous Issues

NEworks

Glossary

CREDITS

Nebraska Workforce Trends is published by the Nebraska Department of Labor - Labor Market Information Center in cooperation with the U.S.

Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assur-ances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued avail-ability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

Commissioner of LaborJohn H. Albin

LMI Administrator Phil Baker

Editor Scott Hunzeker

Editor Grace Johnson

EditorJennifer Gildersleeve

Graphic DesignerBrittney Lippincott

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

JUNE UNEMPLOYMENT DATAByron Lefler, Research Analyst

LINCOLN MSA (not seasonally adjusted) June Unemployment Rate: 2.6% June Total Non-farm: 186,236Manufacturing: 14,170Largest OTM Increases:Leisure & Hospitality: 540 (3.0%)Mining & Construction: 193 (2.4%)

OMAHA MSA (not seasonally adjusted) June Unemployment Rate: 3.2%June Total Non-farm: 494,784Manufacturing: 32,024Largest OTM Increases: Mining & Construction: 949 (3.7%)Leisure & Hospitality: 590 (1.2%)

GRAND ISLAND MSA (not seasonally adjusted) June Unemployment Rate: 3.1%June Total Non-farm: 43,399Change (OTM): 455 (1.1%)Change (OTY): -85 (-0.2%)

NEBRASKA (not seasonally adjusted)June Total Non-farm: 1,007,608 Manufacturing: 95,323Nebraska (smoothed seasonally adjusted)June Unemployment Rate: 2.6%Change (OTM): unchanged at 2.6%Change (OTY): -0.7% Economic Regions (not seasonally adjusted)Central: 2.7% Mid Plains: 2.7% Northeast: 3.1% Panhandle: 3.1% Sandhills: 2.6% Southeast: 3.1%

Sources: 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics Program (CES)2. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)

JUNE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES BY COUNTY*

Cherry2.5 Holt

2.3

Custer2.5

Sioux2.7

Lincoln2.9

Sheridan3.3

Morrill2.8

Garden2.2

Knox2.9

Keith2.6

Dawes3.0

Rock2.5

Brown4.2

Gage3.6

Hall3.2

Dundy2.0

Chase1.9

Buffalo2.5

Grant2.5

Clay2.8

Kimball3.5

York2.8

Frontier2.3

Otoe3.4

Dawson3.0

Cedar2.4

Platte2.8

Arthur3.9

Burt3.7

Perkins1.9

Cheyenne2.2

Hayes2.3

Blaine4.5

Loup4.2

Box Butte2.7

Cass3.2

Boyd2.2

Boone2.3Banner

2.9

Polk2.6

Butler2.7

Furnas2.8

Hooker3.3

Antelope2.3

Saline2.9

Valley2.7

Pierce2.3

Logan2.4

Thomas2.9

Lancaster2.6

Dixon3.2

Harlan2.3

Adams3.1

Thayer2.1

Dodge3.3

Phelps2.5

Saunders3.0

McPherson2.3

Deuel2.6

Howard2.8

Cuming2.6

Seward3.0

Greeley2.8

Fillmore3.0

Hitchcock3.3

Garfield2.4

Franklin2.4

Keya Paha2.3

Webster3.9

Nance2.3

Madison2.9

Wheeler2.3

Nuckolls2.4

Merrick3.1

Colfax2.7

Gosper2.4

Scotts Bluff3.5

Jefferson2.6

Wayne3.1

Sherman2.5

Red Willow2.8

Kearney2.2

Hamilton2.5

Stanton2.7

Pawnee2.7

Richardson3.4

Nemaha4.2

Johnson3.0

Thurston6.1

Douglas3.3

Dakota4.8

Sarpy2.8

Washington3.1

County Rates

1 .9 - 2.4

2.5 - 2.7

2.8 - 3.1

3.2 - 3.9

4.0 - 6.1

*Not seasonally adjusted

4

FAST FACTS: BACK TO SCHOOLJodie Meyer, Research Analyst

It is back to school time and many children are about to resume their studies. The following facts highlight school and education data from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade in Nebraska.

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

ESU

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

89.1%

1.7%

0.1%

0.2% 9%

18.6%

10.9%

81%89%

0.5%

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

ESU

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

89.1%

1.7%

0.1%

0.2% 9%

18.6%

10.9%

81%89%

0.5%

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

ESU

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

89.1%

1.7%

0.1%

0.2% 9%

18.6%

10.9%

81%89%

0.5%

1,256 SCHOOLS IN NEBRASKA

383,862 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (AGES 5-19) IN NEBRASKA SCHOOLS BY SYSTEM

STUDENTS BY SCHOOL SYSTEM

345,324 STUDENTSPRE-K - 12

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

SOURCES:1. US Census, 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01001: Sex by Age

2. Nebraska Department of Education, District and School information. Statistics and Facts about Nebraska Schools 2013-2014, http://drs.education.ne.gov/quickfacts/Pages/DistrictandSchoolInformation.aspx

3. Nebraska Department of Labor, Office of Labor Market Information, Occupational Employment Statistics, June, 2015

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

ESU

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

89.1%

1.7%

0.1%

0.2% 9%

18.6%

10.9%

81%89%

0.5%

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

ESU

NON PUBLIC

STATE OPERATED

PUBLIC

89.1%

1.7%

0.1%

0.2% 9%

18.6%

10.9%

81%89%

0.5%

FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT TEACHERS & CERTIFIED STAFF IN NEBRASKA

AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES OF TEACHERS BY CLASSIFICATION

TEACHERS & STAFF BY SCHOOL SYSTEM

30,976.48

PRESCHOOL TEACHERS, EXCEPT SPECIAL EDUCATION

KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, EXCEPT SPECIAL EDUCATION

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, EXCEPT SPECIAL EDUCATION

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS, EXCEPT SPECIAL & CAREER/TECHNICAL EDUCATION

CAREER/TECHNICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, MIDDLE SCHOOL

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, EXCEPT SPECIAL & CAREER/TECHNICAL EDUCATION

CAREER/TECHNICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, SECONDARY SCHOOL

SPECIAL EDUCATION, PRESCHOOL

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, KINDERGARTEN & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, MIDDLE SCHOOL

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, SECONDARY SCHOOL

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, ALL OTHER $49,616

$51,766

$50,707

$49,993

$53,382

$53,241

$51,585

$56,102

$51,877

$50,234

$47,887

$31,776

PRE-K - 12

6

MAP FACTS: RELATIVE CONCENTRATION OF OCCUPATIONS BY STATEJennifer Gildersleeve, Research Analyst

New Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) data released by the BLS at the end of March 2015 provides an interesting look at the various jobs across our nation. Perhaps not surprisingly, occupations most often held across the nation include retail salespersons, cashiers, food preparation workers, office clerks, and nurses. In most states, these few occupations make up a relatively high per-centage of all employment.

Although the same occupations typically employ the highest percentage of people in nearly every state, certain occupations are more dominant than the national average in each state. A Location Quotient (LQ) mea-sures the percentage of those employed in a specific occupation in a state relative to the percentage employed in the occupation across the nation. Location Quotients are useful in determining potential areas of spe-cialization across a region.

OCCUPATIONS WITH HIGHEST RELATIVE CONCENTRATION BY STATE

»

3.52 - 7.72

7.73 - 1 2.54

1 2.55 - 23.48

23.49 - 49.51

49.52 - 70.73

Highest LQLegend

3.52 - 7.72

7.73 - 1 2.54

1 2.55 - 23.48

23.49 - 49.51

49.52 - 70.73

Highest LQLegend

3.52 - 7.72

7.73 - 1 2.54

1 2.55 - 23.48

23.49 - 49.51

49.52 - 70.73

Highest LQLegend

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7

All reported occupations in each state were analyzed to produce the map on the previous page. Analysis excludes occupations that represent less than 1 out of 4,000 jobs in each state.

Some of the results are not surprising. New York, home to many fashion houses, boasts a far higher percentage of fashion designers than other states, about six times the national figure. Gaming supervisors in Nevada are employed at a rate of almost 32 times the national average. In Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and North Dakota, occupations with higher percentages than other states were related to drilling. The south clearly specializes in production. Washington has nearly six times the amount of aerospace engineers than the national average, while Colorado employs atmo-spheric and space scientists at nearly nine times the national rate.

Nebraska has more than 10 times the meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers than average. About 11,000 people are employed in this occupation across the state, which translates to a little over one percent of all jobs in the state. The top three occupations that employ the most workers in Nebraska are retail salesperson, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and cashiers. These three occupations combined make up about 8.5 percent of all employment in the state.

Of all occupations displayed above, West Virginia had the biggest difference between their actual employment level in an occupation and the national average. There were over 70 times the amount of roof bolters in the state than would be expected based on the national figure.

STATE LQ TITLEAlabama 10.32 Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

Alaska 66.18 Mining Machine Operators, All Other

Arizona 4.71 Plasterers and Stucco Masons

Arkansas 15.26 Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders

California 5.97 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Colorado 8.9 Atmospheric and Space Scientists

Connecticut 4.5 Actuaries

Delaware 12.54 Chemists

Florida 4.9 Athletes and Sports Competitors

Georgia 11.2 Textile Wind/Twist/Drawing Out Mech Setters/Oper/Tenders

Hawaii 14.33 Dancers

Idaho 16.05 Forest and Conservation Technicians

Illinois 3.77 Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other

Indiana 7.72 Rolling Machine Setters/Operators/Tenders-Metal/Plastic

Iowa 14.75 Soil and Plant Scientists

Kansas 7.37 Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

Kentucky 15.32 Roof Bolters, Mining

Louisiana 21.17 Riggers

Maine 10.98 Logging Equipment Operators

Maryland 11.25 Subway and Streetcar Operators

Massachusetts 6.7 Models

Michigan 5.69 Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

Minnesota 7.06 Food Scientists and Technologists

Mississippi 16.76 Upholsterers

Missouri 5.01 Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Montana 21.16 Forest and Conservation Technicians

Nebraska 10.57 Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Nevada 31.94 Gaming Supervisors

8

New Hampshire 23.48 Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists

New Jersey 4.71 Marriage and Family Therapists

New Mexico 15.36 Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators

New York 6.18 Fashion Designers

North Carolina 8.83 Textile Wind/Twist/Drawing Out Mech Setters/Oper/Tenders

North Dakota 49.51 Extraction Workers, All Other

Ohio 3.52 Foundry Mold and Coremakers

Oklahoma 9.61 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Oregon 41.82 Logging Workers, All Other

Pennsylvania 4.15 Survey Researchers

Rhode Island 7.61 Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary

South Carolina 13.9 Tire Builders

South Dakota 21.82 Forest and Conservation Workers

Tennessee 4.95 Conveyor Operators and Tenders

Texas 6.39 Petroleum Engineers

Utah 9.81 Telephone Operators

Vermont 9.42 Furniture Finishers

Virginia 7.26 Legal Support Workers, All Other

Washington 5.76 Aerospace Engineers

West Virginia 70.73 Roof Bolters, Mining

Wisconsin 5.86 Foundry Mold and Coremakers

Wyoming 37.09 Extraction Workers, All Other

SOURCE: 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2014. http://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm

TABLE OF CONTENTS 9

CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY: DEFINITIONS & DEMOGRAPHICSByron Lefler, Research Analyst

Have you ever wondered how many people aged 16 to 19 years old are in Nebraska’s labor force? The answer to this question, along with other demographic labor force data, can be found in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (CPS).

The Current Population Survey is a joint effort between the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the United States Census Bureau. This house-hold survey is conducted for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and includes a sam-ple size of 60,000 households nationwide, of which a portion is delegated to each state based on population and other factors. State sample sizes range from approximately 500 to 4,600 households.

The Current Population Survey is conducted each month during the week that includes the 19th of the month. The data collected during this time period reflects unemploy-ment during the week that includes the 12th of the month, or most commonly referred to as the reference week. Reports produced by the Current Population Survey include estimates for labor force, employment, unemployment and the unemployment rate, along with demographic data.

EXPLANATION OF LABOR FORCE DATA FROM THE CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY

The CPS defines the labor force as all per-sons in the civilian non-institutional popula-tion that are classified as either employed or unemployed. An employed person is defined as anyone 16 years and older in the civilian non-institutional population who during the reference week either worked at least one hour paid, was self-employed, or was an unpaid family worker who worked 15 or more hours, as well as anyone who was temporar-ily absent from work, for reasons including

illness, vacation, and maternity or paternity leave. Unemployed persons are those 16 years and older who during the reference week did not work, but were able and available for work and were actively seeking work, along with all individuals who were on temporary layoff. Those who are neither employed nor unem-

EM

PL

OY

ED

• Worked at least one hour paid

• Were self-employed

• Worked 15 hours or more as an unpaid familiy worker

• Were temporarily absent from work for reasons including temporary illness, vacation and maternity or paternity leave

=

• Did not work

• Were able and available for work

• Were actively seeking work

• Were on temporary layoff=

• Not employed

• Not unemployed

• Retired persons

• Students

• Taking care of children or other family members

• Not actively seeking work

=

UN

EM

PL

OY

ED

NO

T I

N

LA

BO

R F

OR

CE

10

percent were ages 55 and older and 14 per-cent were age 16 to 24 years old.

Another demographic statistic provided by the CPS is the work status of those in the labor force. Of those in the labor force in 2014, 76 percent were working full-time (35 hours or more a week), while 18 percent were working part-time (between 1 and 34 hours a week). The other 6 percent of the labor force was classified as unemployed. Of those classi-fied as unemployed, 84 percent were looking for full-time work, while the other 16 percent were looking for part-time work.

Along with the data on those in the labor force, CPS also provides demographics on those persons not in the labor force. In 2014, 37 percent of the civilian non-institutional population ages 16 and older were considered not in the labor force. Women accounted for 60 percent of those not in the labor force, while men accounted for 40 percent of those not in the labor force. Those ages 25 to 54 accounted for 26 percent of those not in the labor force, while 19 percent of those not in the labor force were between 16 and 24. Over half of those not in the labor force (55%) were 55 and older.

NEBRASKA LABOR FORCE DEMOGRAPHICS

Demographic labor force data for Nebraska can be obtained from the geographic profiles provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data is available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The demographics reported include age, sex, race, ethnicity, and marital status.

For 2014, the annual average civilian non-in-stitutional population in Nebraska was 1,434,000. Of these, 983,000 were employed and 33,000 were unemployed, giving a total labor force of 1,016,000.

Men accounted for 53 percent of Nebraska’s labor force, while women accounted for 47 percent. About 61 percent of Nebraska’s labor force was between the ages of 25 and 54, while 23 percent was 55 and older and 16 per-cent was 16 to 24 years old.

ployed are considered not in the labor force. Those that are considered not in the labor force include retired persons, students, those who are taking care of children or other fam-ily members, and those who are not actively seeking work.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes demographic labor force data at the national and statewide levels. The data for the United States is available as part of the CPS, available at www.bls.gov/cps. The statewide data is available as part of the Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment (GP), available at www.bls.gov/gps. The CPS data is published on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, while the Geographic Profiles are only pub-lished annually. For an accurate comparison of national and statewide data, annual data must be used. Since each state is allocated a portion of the 60,000 household CPS sample, the demographic data available from the geo-graphic profiles is more limited than what is available from the CPS for the United States.

UNITED STATES LABOR FORCE DEMOGRAPHICS

The Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks out its annual average demographic data into several categories. These categories include employ-ment status, characteristics of the employed, characteristics of the unemployed, persons who are not in the labor force, multiple job holders, and weekly earnings. A sample of the available data is provided below.

The 2014 United States annual average civilian non institutional population was 247,947,000. The civilian non-institutional population includes all persons 16 years and older who reside in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, are not institutionalized, and are not active duty military. Of these in the civil-ian, non-institutional population, 146,305,000 were employed and 9,617,000 were unem-ployed, giving a total of 155,922,000 in the labor force.

Men accounted for 53 percent of the United States labor force in 2014, while women accounted for 47 percent of the labor force. Those ages 25 to 54 years old accounted for 64 percent of the labor force in 2014, while 22

TABLE OF CONTENTS 11

LABOR FORCE TOTALS BY STATE

»

Demographic data for the labor force, employment, unemployment and the unem-ployment rate can be found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. If you would like further information on labor force demo-graphics for Nebraska, please contact Byron Lefler by phone at (402) 471-7079 or via email at Byron.Lefler@Nebraska.gov. You can also contact Lenora Castillo by phone at (402) 471-9841 or by email at Lenora.Castillo@Nebraska.gov

The data for the map was obtained from the geographic profiles for 2014 provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and can be found at http://www.bls.gov/lau/table14full14.pdf.

Data for the United States can be found at:

• http://www.bls.gov/cps/.

• National 2014 data— http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.pdf.

Data for the State of Nebraska can be found at:

• www.bls.gov/gps.

• Nebraska 2014 Data— http://www.bls.gov/lau/table14full14.pdf.

Another demographic reported in the geo-graphic profiles is marital status. The data provided includes the categories of married men with spouse present, married women with spouse present, and women who maintain fam-ilies. In 2014, married men with a spouse pres-ent made up 29 percent of the labor force in Nebraska, while married women with a spouse present accounted for 25 percent of the labor force. Women who maintain families were 4 percent of Nebraska’s labor force in 2014.

The 2014 annual average labor force in Nebraska was 1,016,000 and ranked 36 high-est amongst all states. This may seem lower than expected, but according to the United States Census Bureau, Nebraska was the 37th most populous state in the nation with a population of 1,881,503. States with similar size labor forces to Nebraska in 2014 include Arkansas, which had a state population of 2,966,369 (ranked 32nd) and a labor force of 1,293,000 (ranked 34th); Mississippi which had a state population of 2,994,079 (ranked 31st) and a labor force of 1,231,000 (ranked 35th) and New Mexico which had a state population of 2,085,572 (ranked 36th) and a labor force of 917,000 (ranked 37th).

Below is a map showing labor force totals by state.

Texas13,115,000

Montana524,000

California18,797,000

Arizona3,105,000

Nevada1,396,000

Wyoming308,000

Colorado2,822,000

Idaho775,000

New Mexico917,000

Oregon1,945,000

Utah1,428,000

Kansas1,502,000

Minnesota2,971,000

Nebraska1,016,000

Missouri3,049,000

Oklahoma1,768,000

Georgia4,735,000

Washington3,488,000

South Dakota449,000

Illinois6,513,000

Iowa1,709,000

Wisconsin3,091,000

North Dakota417,000

Arkansas1,293,000

Alabama2,164,000

Michigan4,749,000

Ohio5,708,000

Kentucky2,007,000

Virginia4,276,000

Tennessee3,025,000

North Carolina4,648,000

Pennsylvania6,368,000

Florida9,680,000

New York9,554,000

Louisiana2,159,000

Mississippi1,231,000

Maine696,000

Indiana3,237,000

South Carolina2,212,000

West Virginia791,000

Vermont348,000

Maryland3,097,000

New Jersey4,523,000

New Hampshire739,000

Massachusetts3,558,000

Connecticut1,893,000

Delaware453,000

Rhode Island554,000

District of Columbia378,000

Hawaii671,000

Alaska

368,000

Labor Force

308,000 - 791,000

791,001 - 1,502,000

1,502,001 - 2,212,000

2,212,001 - 3,558,000

3,558,001 - 6,513,000

6,513,001 - 18,797,000

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Geographic Pro�les 2014

Hawaii671,000

Alaska

368,000

Labor Force

308,000 - 791,000

791,001 - 1,502,000

1,502,001 - 2,212,000

2,212,001 - 3,558,000

3,558,001 - 6,513,000

6,513,001 - 18,797,000

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Geographic Pro�les 2014

Hawaii671,000

Alaska

368,000

Labor Force

308,000 - 791,000

791,001 - 1,502,000

1,502,001 - 2,212,000

2,212,001 - 3,558,000

3,558,001 - 6,513,000

6,513,001 - 18,797,000

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Geographic Pro�les 2014

12

OTHER

Kermit SpadeResearch Analyst

OMAHA AREA OPENINGS

12

OTHER

OTHER

JUNE

TYPE OF BUSINESS NAME, JOBS ADDED

TOTAL OMAHA JOBS ADDED

FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT

RETAIL/SALES

HEALTH & EDUCATION

Smoothie King 5

Five Pizza Pie 10

LePetit Paris French Bakery 5

The Market House 10

Jersey Mike’s Subs 7

Andre’s Tortillery 10

Legend’s Bar & Grill 10

Ham Sandie 5

Dairy Queen - Elkhorn 15

Hardee’s - Elkhorn 10

Best Buy (76th) 10

North Face 5

The Faintest Breeze 3

Profile by SanFord 7

Seniors Helping Seniors 6

Royal Lux 5

Athletes’ Training Center 5

Object Partners 3

Omaha Kickboxing 4

135

87

18

23

7OTHER

TABLE OF CONTENTS 13

STATEWIDE OPENINGS & EXPANSIONSSOUTHEAST

PANHANDLE

MID-PLAINS

BEATRICE

Pallet Pieces Lou’s Appliance The Wrenchman

NEBRASKA CITY

Cargill Meat Solutions - Expansion NAPA Auto Parts

SHICKLEY

Market Street Boutique

EXETER

Farmer’s Cooperative - Expansion

OHIOWA

Farmer’s Cooperative - Expansion

GENEVA

Nick’s Farm Store - Expansion

ALLIANCE

Grocery Kart - Expansion

SCOTTSBLUFF

Reganis Honda

NORTH PLATTE

Edward Jones

SOURCES:KMTV Omaha Chamber of Commerce Omaha World Herald Strictly Business Magazine Washington County Enterprise

OMAHA EXPANSIONS

Elk Hills Apartments

Highline Development

Royal View Project

Burlington Postal Annex

Countryside Community Church

United Way Headquarters

Hampton Inn & Suites

Dana College - Blair

Salvation Army Lied Center

Egg & I

Two Men & A Truck

Zupas

No Frills & Bag’N Save

HDR

Capitol District Project

New building/HQ

New owner

Rennovation /Repair

LEGEND

New location

Expansion

New apartment complex

New apartment & retail project

Name change

14

The Nebraska Department of Labor and the Nebraska Department of Economic Devel-opment recently conducted a study of labor availability in the Omaha and Lincoln areas. A combined report featuring data from both the Lincoln and Omaha areas was published in June 2015. Information on labor availability can help inform the hiring practices of local employers and the decisions of businesses that are considering expanding into the Omaha or Lincoln areas.

Labor availability refers to the portion of a population that is willing and able to accept new employment. In order to measure labor availability, the study asked survey respondents if they were likely to reenter the workforce or change jobs within the next year if a suit-able job became available. Respondents who answered yes or maybe to this question were identified as potential job seekers.

LABOR AVAILABILITY SPOTLIGHT: ACTIVE JOB SEEKERSKristin Derenge, Research Analyst

NOT ACTIVE SEEKERS

ACTIVE SEEKERS EMPLOYED

HOMEMAKER

RETIRED

UNEMPLOYED

66.3%

17%

2.6%

79.3%

1.1%

33.7%

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

NOT ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

Percentile

ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

9590858075706560555045403530252015105

CURRENT INCOME BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS

»

NOT ACTIVE SEEKERS

ACTIVE SEEKERS EMPLOYED

HOMEMAKER

RETIRED

UNEMPLOYED

66.3%

17%

2.6%

79.3%

1.1%

33.7%

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

NOT ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

Percentile

ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

9590858075706560555045403530252015105

NOT ACTIVE SEEKERS

ACTIVE SEEKERS EMPLOYED

HOMEMAKER

RETIRED

UNEMPLOYED

66.3%

17%

2.6%

79.3%

1.1%

33.7%

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

NOT ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

Percentile

ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS

9590858075706560555045403530252015105

ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS

»

TABLE OF CONTENTS 15

Analysis of potential job seekers’ demo-graphic characteristics, job criteria, pay requirements, and barriers to employment are just some of the information included in the labor availability reports.

This article examines a subset of potential job seekers in the Lincoln and Omaha areas: active job seekers. Active job seekers are potential job seekers who indicated that they were currently seeking a new job at the time of the survey. Non-active seekers are potential job seekers who may change jobs or reenter the workforce within the next year, but were not seeking a job at the time of the survey. In the combined Omaha and Lincoln survey area, 33.7 percent of potential job seekers were actively seeking a new job. This percentage represents an estimated 105,392 active job seekers. Over 79 percent of active job seekers were employed, and 17 percent were unemployed.

Employed active job seekers tended to report lower incomes than employed non-active seekers. One possible explanation for this finding is that lower wages motivate poten-tial job seekers to search for new employ-ment. The median annual income reported by active job seekers was $33,800, while the median annual income of non-active seekers was $42,000. Active job seeker wages were 19.5 percent lower ($8,200) than non-active seeker wages.

What wages would active job seekers find satisfactory? Among active seekers who reported their current and desired wages, almost 29 percent would be willing to accept a new job that pays them as much or less than they are current making. Another 36.2 percent would require a pay increase up to $10,000, and 35 percent would require more than a $10,000 raise.

Survey data shows that employed active and non-active seekers were fairly similar in age. Employed active job seekers and non-seek-ers comprised about the same percentage

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

INCOME REQUIRED TO CHANGE JOBS

»

AGE OF EMPLOYED BY ACTIVE JOB SEEKER STATUS

»

16

of potential job seekers under the age of 45, although a slightly higher percentage of active seekers were ages 25-34. Over 33 per-cent of employed active seekers were ages 25-34 compared to 29 percent of employed non-active seekers.

Even though active job seekers were not much younger than non-active job seekers, active job seekers had shorter tenures than non-active job seekers at their current jobs. The shorter tenure of active job seekers could contribute somewhat to the lower wages of this group. Among potential job seekers who reported how long they have been employed at their current job, a higher percentage of active seekers (48.3%) had been at their job for less than 3 years than non-active seekers (34.3%).

The survey also asked potential job seekers to rate the importance of salary when select-ing a job. If low wages are one of the factors that motivate potential job seekers to actively search for new employment, then one might expect active job seekers to rate salary as more important when selecting a new job than higher paid, non-active seekers. The data is consistent with this hypothesis.

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

IMPORTANCE OF SALARY BY ACTIVE JOB SEEKER STATUS

»

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

$15K+

$10 - 15K

$5 - 10K

$0 - 5K

NO CHANGE

DECREASE

55+45 - 5435 - 44

25 - 3424 & UNDER

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

10+5 - 103 - 50 - 3

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANTSOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

IMPORTANTVERY IMPORTANT

ACTIVE

NOT ACTIVE

19.3%

9.4%

16.8%19.4%

10.4%

10.3%

34.3%

48.3%

62.5%

69.2%

8.2%

11.6%

10.9%

29.5% 7.7%

9.1%

0.3%

1.4%20.4%

23.9%

26.7% 14.1%

30.3%

33.4% 27.5% 20.6%

29% 30% 14.9% 15.7%

12.4%

22.7%

JOB TENURE BY ACTIVE JOB SEEKER STATUS

»

Over 69 percent of employed active seekers rated salary as very important compared to 62.5 percent of employed non-active seekers.

While the survey did not ask whether low wages caused potential job seekers to actively search for new employment, the survey did ask what factors are important when seeking a new job.

The survey shows the unique characteris-tics of active job seekers and provides some insight into factors that might motivate potential job seekers to actively search for work. The data suggests that low wages could be one factor that motivates potential seekers to seek new employment. However, other fac-tors like personal fulfillment and work environ-ment would also clearly affect potential job seekers’ likelihood to search for new work.

The analysis in this article only utilizes a fraction of the data collected for the labor availability reports. Much more detailed infor-mation on potential job seekers and general employment in the Lincoln and Omaha areas is available in the full labor availability reports at http://neworks.nebraska.gov/gsipub/index.asp?docid=802.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 17

ECONOMIC INDICATORS NEBRASKA INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMSKermit Spade, Research Analyst

In each new issue of Trends, the economic indicators section will feature a chart or graph focused on one of the economic indicators listed above. This month, we’ll be focusing on Initial Claims.

According to the Conference Board, “The number of new claims filed for unemployment insurance are typically more sensitive than either total employment or unemployment to overall business conditions, and this series tends to lead the business cycle. It is inverted when included in the leading index; the signs of the month-to-month changes are reversed, because initial claims increase when employment conditions worsen (i.e., layoffs rise and new hirings fall).”

To learn more, visit: https://www.conference-board.org/data/bci/index.cfm?id=2160

NEBRASKA INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Jan-

90Ju

l-90

Jan-

91Ju

l-91

Jan-

92Ju

l-92

Jan-

93Ju

l-93

Jan-

94Ju

l-94

Jan-

95Ju

l-95

Jan-

96Ju

l-96

Jan-

97Ju

l-97

Jan-

98Ju

l-98

Jan-

99Ju

l-99

Jan-

00Ju

l-00

Jan-

01Ju

l-01

Jan-

02Ju

l-02

Jan-

03Ju

l-03

Jan-

04Ju

l-04

Jan-

05Ju

l-05

Jan-

06Ju

l-06

Jan-

07Ju

l-07

Jan-

08Ju

l-08

Jan-

09Ju

l-09

Jan-

10Ju

l-10

Jan-

11Ju

l-11

Jan-

12Ju

l-12

Jan-

13Ju

l-13

Jan-

14Ju

l-14

Jan-

15Ju

l-15

Initial Claims

Recessions Initial Claims 12 per. Mov. Avg. (Initial Claims)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Jan-

90Ju

l-90

Jan-

91Ju

l-91

Jan-

92Ju

l-92

Jan-

93Ju

l-93

Jan-

94Ju

l-94

Jan-

95Ju

l-95

Jan-

96Ju

l-96

Jan-

97Ju

l-97

Jan-

98Ju

l-98

Jan-

99Ju

l-99

Jan-

00Ju

l-00

Jan-

01Ju

l-01

Jan-

02Ju

l-02

Jan-

03Ju

l-03

Jan-

04Ju

l-04

Jan-

05Ju

l-05

Jan-

06Ju

l-06

Jan-

07Ju

l-07

Jan-

08Ju

l-08

Jan-

09Ju

l-09

Jan-

10Ju

l-10

Jan-

11Ju

l-11

Jan-

12Ju

l-12

Jan-

13Ju

l-13

Jan-

14Ju

l-14

Jan-

15Ju

l-15

Initial Claims

Recessions Initial Claims 12 per. Mov. Avg. (Initial Claims)

18

Change Over Last Quarter/Month

METRIC CURRENT TIME PERIOD

UNITED STATES

MIDWEST REGION

NEBRASKA

Average Weekly Manufacturing Hours June, 2015 0.0 - -0.5

Initial Unemployment Claims July, 2015 +1.0% - +31.4%

Value of Manufacturers' New Orders for Con-sumer Goods

May, 2015 +0.7% - -

ISM Manufacturing: New Orders Index© June, 2015 +0.4% - -

Value of Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft

June, 2015 +0.9% - -

S&P 500© July, 2015 +0.3% - -

Leading Economic Index May, 2015 +1.4% - +0.4%

10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus Fed-eral Funds Rate

July, 2015 +2.2% - -

University of Michigan, Consumer Sentiment Index

June, 2015 +6.0% - -

Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted June, 2015 +0.4% +0.5% -

Employment Cost Index 1st Quarter, 2015 +0.7% - -

Producer Price Index: All Commodities June, 2015 +0.9% - -

Unemployment Rate, seasonally adjusted June, 2015 -0.2% -0.1% 0.0%

Real GDP, billions of chained 2009 dollars 2nd Quarter, 2015 +2.3% - -

Net Taxable Sales April, 2015 -7.6% - -

Barrel of Crude Oil, WTI-Cushing, Spot Price June, 2015 +$0.55 - -

Current Account Balance (millions of dollars) 1st Quarter, 2015 -$10,199

SOURCES:1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Customized Tables; State and Area Employment,

Hours and Earnings. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Online] http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?sm.

2. US. Employment and Training Administration. 4-Week Moving Average of Initial Claims. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/IC4WSA.

3. —. Initial Claims in Nebraska. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NEICLAIMS.

4. US. Bureau of the Census. Value of Manufacturers’ New Orders for Consumer Goods Industries. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/ACOGNO.

5. Institute for Supply Management. ISM Manufacturing: New Orders Index©. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NAPMNOI.

6. US. Bureau of the Census. Manufacturers’ New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NEWORDER.

7. S&P Dow Jones IndiciesIndices LLC. S&P 500©. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/SP500.

8. Federal Reserve Bank of PhilidelphiaPhiladelphia. Leading Index for the United States. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/USSLIND.

9. —. Leading Index for Nebraska. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NESLIND.

10. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus Federal Funds Rate. [Online] https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/T10YFF.

11. Survey Research Center, University of Michigan. Survey of Consumers. University of Michigan. [Online] http://www.press.sca.isr.umich.edu/press/press_release.

12. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CPIAUCNS.

13. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All items in Midwest urban. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CUUR0200SA0.

14. —. Employment Cost Index. Customized Tables. [Online] http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?ci.

15. —. Producer Price Index for All Commodities. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/PPIACO.

16. Civilian Unemployment Rate. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/UNRATE.

17. Unemployment Rate in Midwest Census Region. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CMWRUR.

18. Unemployment Rate in Nebraska. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NEUR.

19. U.S. Department of Commerce: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Real Gross Domestic Product. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/GDPC1.

20. Nebraska Department of Revenue. Non-Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Collections. Nebraska Department of Revenue. [Online] http://www.revenue.nebraska.gov/research/net_taxable_sales/sales_14/2014_non-mv.html.

21. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Crude Oil Prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - Cushing, Oklahoma. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/MCOILWTICO.

22. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Balance of Payments on the Current Account. http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/IEABC

TABLE OF CONTENTS 19

Nebraska Department of LaborOffice of Labor Market Information550 S 16th StreetLincoln NE 68508

Telephone 800.876.1377Email ndol.lmi_ne@nebraska.gov

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.TDD: 1.800.833.7352