Nebraska unemployment stays steady, under 3%

A new report says Nebraska’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.9 percent in October and was the second lowest state rate in the nation.

Nationally, the unemployment rate fell to 5 percent from 5.1 percent in October, due to a hiring rebound that added 271,000 jobs.

Unemployment in the five boroughs is now at 4.8%, from 5.2% last month, according to U.S. Labor Department stats. Since the start of the year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate has declined from January’s 6.7 percent and last month’s jobless rate was down from 6.6 percent in the same month a year ago.

Across the state, the lowest unemployment marks were found in Monroe (3.4 percent) and St. Johns (3.6 percent) counties.

In October of 2014, Angelina County had a jobless rate of 4.8 percent.

Private sector employment is 12,800 jobs above peak levels recorded in March 2000.

The number of unemployed workers across the state decreased by 2,042 during the month and now stands at 273,645.

The state said service-providing industries led gains with 12,400 jobs added in leisure and hospitality businesses and 3,300 in professional and business services.

Unemployment rates for both the First Coast and Florida fell in October compared to September as the string of monthly positive economic indicators rolls toward the end of the year. The job market continues to motor toward full employment, and we should be there by this time next year.’ – Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc. The figure was two-tenths of a point under the 3.1 percent seen in October 2014.

The job market is “pretty solid overall, which is good news for the economy, for consumers and for the Fed as they’re looking to raise rates”, Jennifer Lee, senior in Toronto for BMO Capital Markets, said before the report.

Arkansas has lost 3,900 manufacturing jobs since October of past year, but the sector did post a gain of 600 jobs from September to October 2015.