BRIDGING NEBRASKA'S EMPLOYMENT GAP

By Katie Bieber
Based on the Employment Gap Brief by Tom Choi

Nebraska’s unemployment rate remains among the lowest in the nation ... 2.9% in fact!

But beneath the surface lies an ongoing challenge.

Even in a strong job market, many employers struggle to find workers with the right skills.

We call this the employment gap — where job demand doesn’t match the available talent.

Job Demand in Nebraska

Some fields — especially education, healthcare, finance, and technology — show particularly strong demand for skilled workers.

Nearly 1,800 teachers are needed in Nebraska each year.

There are more than 1,500 job openings for registered nurses.

And accountant and software developer roles each show annual demand of almost 1,000 workers.

Unfortunately, these occupations all have unmet demand in the state.

Nebraska graduates and retains enough students each year to fill only 47% of teaching jobs and just over half of registered nursing positions.

The gap is even larger in other high-demand fields. Nebraska graduates and retains enough students to fill only 11% of accountant and auditor positions and 40% of software developer positions.

When Nebraska can’t fill essential jobs, the impacts ripple outward.

In high-need fields, even a shortfall of a few hundred workers can significantly impact the state.

Earning a Degree

Earning a college degree can reduce the employment gap, equipping individuals with the specialized skills and credentials employers need.

When fewer Nebraskans complete programs aligned to these careers, or choose not to work in Nebraska, the employment gap widens.

Many students begin college programs but do not earn a degree.

Only 43% of public college students who begin in teacher education programs graduate with that degree.

Just 39% of public college students who begin in computer science programs graduate with that degree.

Increasing college completion rates is one way to expand the pool of qualified candidates and help bridge Nebraska’s employment gap.

Staying in Nebraska

Keeping graduates in Nebraska, especially those trained in high-demand fields, is also crucial to closing the employment gap.

In general, college programs show high retention rates.

But students from Nebraska have even higher talent retention rates than total graduates.

This suggests that increasing enrollment of Nebraska residents in the state’s colleges could create more opportunities to retain workers in Nebraska.

To address these gaps, policymakers, institutional leaders, and other stakeholders may consider policies and strategies associated with:

Higher enrollment in programs aligned with high-demand occupations
Higher postsecondary persistence and completion
Graduate retention and in-state employment outcomes

Closing the employment gap strengthens local economies, stabilizes essential services, and supports long-term population and wage growth.

Every additional graduate who stays and works in Nebraska contributes to addressing shortages in sectors that directly affect local communities.

To learn more about the employment gap in Nebraska and its relationship with college graduation, earnings, and more, check out the NSWERS Brief on Employment Gap in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System (or NSWERS), is an interlocal agency with member representatives from Nebraska’s six Community Colleges, the Nebraska Department of Education, the Nebraska State College System, the University of Nebraska System, and in affiliation with the Nebraska Department of Labor. NSWERS enables seamless integration of data across educational and workforce systems, provides data literacy education, and promotes the use of this data to further evidence-based policy and practices across Nebraska’s educational landscape.

Provisional results found in the brief are based on certified NSWERS data as of December 18, 2024. The provisional results found in this story have been updated to reflect the most current certified NSWERS data available as of May 8, 2026. Results in this story may change because of data resubmissions by NSWERS Partners and/or Affiliates. While NSWERS strives for accuracy and reliability, official estimates should be obtained directly from our respective partners. For updated results, please contact support@nswers.org.

Nebraska's preliminary unemployment rate for June 2026 is 2.9 percent. “Nebraska Employment Data.” Nebraska Department of Labor | Nebraska Employment Data, dol.nebraska.gov/INFOLINK.

Source: Katie Bieber. Bridging Nebraska's Employment Gap. Lincoln, NE: Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System, 2026. insights.nswers.org.