Nebraska Q1, 2019 Employment Statistics- 72,222 employers, up 0.6% from 71,811
- 964,412 employees, up 0.5% from 960,102
- $917 average weekly wage, up 2.2% from $897
- The average weekly wage is 22.6% below the national average
- The cost of living is 6.7% below the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 411, which is an increase of 0.6%. The number of employees in Nebraska increased by 4,309, an increase of 0.5%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $20, an increase of 2.2%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 385 or 0.6%. Growth in private businesses in Nebraska grew slower than the national average of 3.0%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 5,066 or 0.6%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Nebraska was slower than the national average of 1.7%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $22 or 2.5%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Nebraska grew slower than the national average of 3.0%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Healthcare with 15.8% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector declined by 5.9%. Professional services (9.9%), which increased by 3.9% and Construction (9.9%), which increased by 1.5%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
| Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Educational services | 33 | 5.6% |
| Real estate and rental | 125 | 5.6% |
| Information | 44 | 4.6% |
| Professional services | 268 | 3.9% |
| Arts and entertainment | 36 | 3.9% |
| Utilities | 4 | 3.6% |
| Waste services | 117 | 3.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 97 | 1.8% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 37 | 1.7% |
| Construction | 106 | 1.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 64 | 1.4% |
| Transport and warehousing | 31 | 1.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 51 | 1.1% |
| Retail trade | 65 | 0.9% |
| Other services | 38 | 0.8% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 1 | 0.7% |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 0.6% |
| Company management | -29 | -3.5% |
| Healthcare | -715 | -5.9% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Healthcare with 13.3% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 0.9% in the last year. Retail trade (10.9%), decreased by 2.0% and Manufacturing (10.3%), increased by 0.8%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
| Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and entertainment | 427 | 3.4% |
| Transport and warehousing | 1,233 | 3.1% |
| Real estate and rental | 283 | 2.9% |
| Construction | 1,138 | 2.4% |
| Professional services | 880 | 2.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,071 | 1.9% |
| Educational services | 191 | 1.9% |
| Utilities | 19 | 1.8% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 218 | 1.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,043 | 1.4% |
| Other services | 260 | 1.1% |
| Healthcare | 1,107 | 0.9% |
| Manufacturing | 759 | 0.8% |
| Wholesale trade | -200 | -0.5% |
| Company management | -111 | -0.5% |
| Waste services | -390 | -0.8% |
| Retail trade | -2,119 | -2.0% |
| Mining and oil extraction | -25 | -2.4% |
| Information | -719 | -4.0% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Utilities paying $2,996per week compared with the state average of $915. Weekly wages in this sector rose by $294 or 10.9%. Company management ($1,827), rose by $47 or 2.6% and Finance and insurance ($1,649) increased by $32 or 2.0% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
| Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | $294 | 10.9% |
| Healthcare | $50 | 5.9% |
| Waste services | $38 | 5.2% |
| Real estate and rental | $40 | 5.0% |
| Information | $49 | 3.6% |
| Educational services | $24 | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | $34 | 2.7% |
| Company management | $47 | 2.6% |
| Construction | $22 | 2.4% |
| Other services | $13 | 2.2% |
| Finance and insurance | $32 | 2.0% |
| Professional services | $18 | 1.4% |
| Transport and warehousing | $11 | 1.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | $4 | 1.3% |
| Arts and entertainment | $4 | 1.1% |
| Mining and oil extraction | $9 | 0.9% |
| Retail trade | $3 | 0.6% |
| Manufacturing | $-4 | -0.4% |
| Agriculture and forestry | $-27 | -3.3% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Nebraska. the industry with the most businesses is Services for the elderly and disabled with 7.7% of the businesses in the state (with 5,591 employing 7,034 workers). The Services for the elderly and disabled industry had 840 fewer businesses, a decline of 13.1% in the last year. Restaurants and other eating places (4.6% of businesses) added 50 businesses, an increase of 1.5% and Computer systems design and related services (2.7% of businesses) added 96 businesses, an increase of 5.1% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging and labeling services | 3 | 75.0% |
| Mobile food services | 7 | 63.6% |
| Fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers | 2 | 50.0% |
| Soybean farming | 1 | 50.0% |
| Business service centers | 14 | 42.4% |
| Political organizations | 7 | 41.2% |
| Industrial design services | 4 | 40.0% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of real estate agents and brokers | 104 | 13.0% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 96 | 5.1% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 50 | 1.5% |
| Accounting and bookkeeping services | 46 | 5.2% |
| Management consulting services | 42 | 4.6% |
| Offices of physicians | 39 | 3.8% |
| Other specialized trucking long-distance | 31 | 9.4% |
Employees by Industry
Restaurants and other eating places (4.6% of employees) added 50 employees, an increase of 1.5% and Computer systems design and related services (2.7% ofemployees) added 96 employees, an increase of 5.1% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing | 30 | 105.9% |
| Professional employer organizations | 66 | 100.5% |
| Metal tank heavy gauge manufacturing | 198 | 82.4% |
| Facilities support services | 98 | 73.9% |
| Mobile food services | 13 | 73.0% |
| Other const. material merchant wholesalers | 35 | 69.8% |
| Packaging and labeling services | 22 | 66.0% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Other outpatient care centers | 994 | 20.7% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 889 | 1.5% |
| General warehousing and storage | 712 | 18.3% |
| Electrical and wiring contractors | 629 | 9.2% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 491 | 4.2% |
| Plumbing and hvac contractors | 465 | 5.5% |
| Animal slaughtering and processing | 460 | 1.7% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
Restaurants and other eating places ($5) and Computer systems design and related services ($3) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Restaurants and other eating places ($5 per week) were paid $50 more per week, an increase of 1.5% and Computer systems design and related services ($3 per week) were paid $96 more per week, an increase of 5.1% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging and labeling services | $224 | 68.1% |
| Other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing | $639 | 50.6% |
| Rv parks and recreational camps | $175 | 43.3% |
| Jewelry merchant wholesalers | $209 | 40.8% |
| Other const. material merchant wholesalers | $493 | 40.8% |
| Lessors of nonresidential buildings | $273 | 40.5% |
| Metal tank heavy gauge manufacturing | $298 | 35.3% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing | $639 | 50.6% |
| Other const. material merchant wholesalers | $493 | 40.8% |
| Natural gas distribution | $450 | 13.0% |
| Meat and meat product merchant wholesalers | $331 | 25.4% |
| Metal tank heavy gauge manufacturing | $298 | 35.3% |
| Credit bureaus | $279 | 15.6% |
| Lessors of nonresidential buildings | $273 | 40.5% |
Company Size
Nebraska Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Nebraska by far. 61.7% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 66,015 small businesses in the state represent 96.3% of all private businesses. The national average is 92.9%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Nebraska added 385 businesses in the last year, an increase of 0.6% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 381 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 0.6% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses declined 2 businesses in the last year, which is a decrease of 0.1% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses added 6 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 5.3% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Nebraska Employees by Business Size
Nebraska added 15,199 employees in the last year, an increase of 1.9% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 12,379 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 23.1% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses lost 4,778 employees in the last year, which is a decrease of 1.7% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 7,598 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 6.1% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Nebraska Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
Nebraska workers in every size business are paid less than the national average. The smallest companies in Nebraska (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 18.5% less than the national average ($848 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Nebraska (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 64.1% workers below the national average ($1,166 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $72 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 2.3% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $77 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 2.8% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $43 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of 1.8% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Data Sources
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