Nebraska jobless rate drops slightly to 3.1 percent in November from October's 3.4 percent

Nebraska's preliminary unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for November, a slight drop from 3.4 percent in October, the state said in a report released Friday.

The Nebraska Labor Department said the rate was also down from the November 2013 rate of 3.7 percent. The state's November rate was also well below the preliminary national unemployment rate for the month of 5.8 percent.

Nebraska had the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation in November, trailing North Dakota's 2.7 percent, according the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Nebraska's unemployment rate has not been this low since early 2008," acting Nebraska Labor Commissioner John Albin said.

The state's non-farm employment was up by 3,573 from October and 7,733 from November a year ago, the report said.

Last month, Nebraska listed 990,516 people as employed, compared with 986,943 in October and 982,783 in November 2013. There were 1,021,881 people in the state labor force last month, the report said, compared with 1,021,384 in October and 1,020,405 in November 2013.

Omaha's preliminary unemployment rate dropped to 3.0 percent in November, down two-tenths of a point from October and down seven-tenths of a point from 3.7 percent in November 2013. Lincoln's rate dropped slightly in November to 2.1 percent from 2.3 percent in October. The new figure is nine-tenths of a point under the November 2013 rate of 3.0 percent.

The unemployment rates for Lincoln and Omaha are not seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared with the state unemployment rate.

Here are all preliminary area labor market unemployment rates for November, followed by the revised October rates:

— Beatrice: 3.3, 5.1

— Columbus: 2.2, 2.3

— Fremont: 2.5, 2.7

— Grand Island: 2.7, 2.9

— Hastings: 2.3, 2.5

— Kearney: 1.8, 1.9

— Lexington: 2.8, 2.9

— Norfolk: 2.1, 2.4

— North Platte: 2.1, 2.3

— Red Willow: 2.0, 2.1

— Scottsbluff: 2.9, 3.0

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Online:

Nebraska Department of Labor: http://www.dol.nebraska.gov