Counties With the Highest Unemployment in Nebraska

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Counties with the highest unemployment in Nebraska

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Nebraska using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 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.

Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Nebraska.

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#50. Sheridan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,649 people (57 unemployed)

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#49. Howard County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,530 people (79 unemployed)

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#48. Keith County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,427 people (96 unemployed)

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#47. Colfax County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,781 people (127 unemployed)

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#46. Saunders County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,502 people (254 unemployed)

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#45. Thomas County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 399 people (9 unemployed)

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#44. Garden County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,028 people (24 unemployed)

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#43. Valley County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,022 people (46 unemployed)

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#42. Thayer County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,629 people (61 unemployed)

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#41. Jefferson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,097 people (94 unemployed)

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#40. Otoe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,313 people (190 unemployed)

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#39. Washington County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,495 people (265 unemployed)

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#38. Adams County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,919 people (396 unemployed)

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#37. Lincoln County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,719 people (405 unemployed)

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#36. Lancaster County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 184,447 people (4,294 unemployed)

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#35. Gosper County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 1,096 people (26 unemployed)

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#34. Kimball County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,910 people (46 unemployed)

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#33. Nuckolls County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,422 people (59 unemployed)

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#32. Nemaha County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,559 people (85 unemployed)

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#31. Brown County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,326 people (33 unemployed)

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#30. Cheyenne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,062 people (103 unemployed)

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#29. Knox County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,405 people (112 unemployed)

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#28. Dodge County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,829 people (528 unemployed)

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#27. Deuel County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 936 people (24 unemployed)

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#26. Franklin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,472 people (39 unemployed)

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#25. Dawson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,317 people (351 unemployed)

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#24. Sarpy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 100,593 people (2,587 unemployed)

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#23. Pawnee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,469 people (40 unemployed)

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#22. Webster County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,628 people (44 unemployed)

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#21. Burt County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,470 people (92 unemployed)

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#20. Hall County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,809 people (918 unemployed)

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#19. Box Butte County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,157 people (142 unemployed)

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#18. Cass County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,711 people (379 unemployed)

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#17. Arthur County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 210 people (6 unemployed)

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#15. Dixon County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,946 people (86 unemployed)

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#15. Clay County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,980 people (86 unemployed)

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#14. Richardson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,996 people (116 unemployed)

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#13. Scotts Bluff County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,683 people (535 unemployed)

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#12. Douglas County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 308,603 people (9,192 unemployed)

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#11. Hitchcock County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,268 people (39 unemployed)

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#10. Dakota County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,872 people (350 unemployed)

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#9. Hooker County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 325 people (11 unemployed)

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#8. Logan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 435 people (15 unemployed)

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#6. Loup County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 369 people (13 unemployed)

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#6. Banner County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 374 people (13 unemployed)

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#5. Boyd County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 998 people (35 unemployed)

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#4. Saline County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,174 people (250 unemployed)

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#3. Johnson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,962 people (79 unemployed)

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#2. Blaine County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 236 people (11 unemployed)

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#1. Gage County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,105 people (581 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.