Career Coaching
in Nebraska

Employment Landscape

Job seekers in Nebraska face a labor market marked by modest openings and regional disparities. Statewide job openings hovered near 49,000 in March 2025, with a job‑openings rate at 4.4 percent and only about 0.6 unemployed persons per opening—indicating a tighter market than many states. The statewide unemployment rate has remained low, around 2.9 percent in March, with the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas driving much of the gains in employment. That said, rural communities are seeing deeper shocks. Lexington’s economy is under severe strain after Tyson Foods announced the closure of its beef plant, which employed more than a quarter of the town’s workers. In contrast, North Platte recently welcomed a new Sustainable Beef plant, offering over 800 jobs with better wage structures and modern conditions. These dynamics mean job seekers will encounter both tight competition in urban service sectors and sharp disruption—and select opportunities—in rural meatpacking regions.

Dominant Industries

Typical Roles

Hiring Patterns

Hiring growth has shifted toward service sectors like healthcare, leisure and hospitality, and construction, while goods‑producing sectors—especially traditional meatpacking in places like Lexington—are contracting sharply. At the same time, new investment, such as the Sustainable Beef plant in North Platte, is creating pockets of hiring even as some rural towns lose jobs.

"Emerging plant‑backed opportunities in towns like North Platte coexist with painful closures elsewhere. It can feel like you’re sprinting uphill even while new tracks appear farther out."