NEBRASKA WORKFORCE

TRENDSTRENDSNOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE | NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Inside this issue

Creating Products & Building Careers: Top Manufacturing Occupations in Nebraska & the US

Spotlight: The Unemployment Insurance Adjudication Process

Map Facts: Percent of Veterans by State

2

Contents

3 Openings & Expansions

4 Map Facts: Percent of Veterans by State

6 Fast Facts: American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month

8 Economic Indicators

10Creating Products & Building Careers: Top Manufacturing Occupations in Nebraska & the US

17 Spotlight: The Unemployment Insurance Adjudication Process

Helpful LinksLabor Market Publications

Previous Issues

NEworks.nebraska.gov

Reader Feedback Survey

CreditsCommissionerJohn H. Albin

Research AnalystsNancy Arroyo-PetriLaura L. CooperKermit SpadeRachel Stevens

Research SupervisorBrandon Jones

Editors Rachel StevensGrace Johnson Scott Hunzeker

Graphic Designer Hillary Lee

Source: Nebraska Department of LaborOpenings and expansions listed are a sampling of activity reported for that month. Some activity may have occurred outside the month. If you have an opening or expansion to report, contact us at LMI_NE@nebraska.gov.

Business Category Business Name Location

Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation

The Lock Box: Escape Room (Opening)Beatrice Movies (Re-Opening)

YorkBeatrice

Construction Best Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling (Expansion) Sidney

Food Services

Hurts Donut (Opening)Oh Street Sandwich Shoppe (Opening)

Captain Red Beard's Café (Opening)All Sauced Up Pub 'n' Grub (Opening)

Poppin' Delights (Expansion)Rivet Roasters (Opening)

OmahaAuburn

YorkFairburyNorfolk

Pierce

Health Care & Social Assistance Omaha Fisher House (Opening) Omaha

Manufacturing Prime Metals (Opening) Gering

Other Services (Except Public Admin.)

Wilber Massage and Esthetics Spa and Boutique (Opening)

Nebraskaland Tire and Service (Opening)Affordable Computer Repair (Opening)

WilberCrete

West Point

Wholesale & Retail TradeAlliance Community Pharmacy (Expansion)Adams Autos and Equipment (Expansion)

Charlotte and Emerson Boutique (Opening)

Alliance SidneySidney

Openings & Expansions SeptemberKermit Spade, Research Analyst

NOVEMBER 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Map FactsKermit Spade, Research Analyst

Percent of Veterans by State

Millions of veterans across the country utilize and depend on the VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) for benefits and services. In order to anticipate the needs and gauge the effectiveness of various VA programs, it is important for policy makers to understand the veteran population as much as possible. In 2019 there were more than 17 million veterans living in the United States, representing 6.8% of the population. (1)

4.8%CA

Utah5.1%

IL5.3%

4.3%NY

4.4%NJ

5.0%MA

5.5%CT

4.3%

TX6.5%

DC

6.4%MN

OH7.3%

6.9%WI

IN7.1%

MI6.6%

KY7.2%

7.0%PA

6.5%LA

6.8%MS

VT6.9%

OR7.9%

IA7.6%

KS7.5%

MO8.1%

7.7%NE

GA7.6%

8.0%AR

8.0%ND

8.0%TN 7.9%

NC

FL8.2%

7.5%MD

AZ8.5%

ID9.1%

NV8.9%

8.2%CO

8.4%NM

OK8.8%

AL8.4%

8.9%WA

8.6%SD

ME8.9%

8.9%SC

8.5%WV

8.5%NH

MT10.3%

WY9.4%

10.0%VA

AK10.7%

Veteran % of Population4.3% - 5.8%

5.9% - 7.3%

7.4% - 8.2%

8.3% - 9.4%

9.5% - 10.7%

HI8.5%

5.8%RI

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

NOVEMBER 2020

Sources:1. U.S. Census Bureau. Table S2101 Veteran Status ACS 1-Year Estimates. data.census.gov. [Online] 2019. [Cited: October 6, 2020.] https://data.census.gov/cedsci/

table?text=S2101&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S2101&hidePreview=false.

Alaska, Montana, and Virginia had the highest number of veterans as a percentage of the population 18 years and over. (1) Each state had 10% or more veteran population. California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and New York had the lowest percentage of veterans, with each having less than 5%. With a veteran population of 7.7% of the total population, Nebraska ranks 27th for veteran population. This translates to a population of about 112,000 veterans in Nebraska. (1)

Breaking down the population of Nebraska’s veterans by race/ethnicity, whites are slightly over represented in the veteran population (92% vs. 87.6% of the state’s total population) and Hispanics are underrepresented (3.9% vs. 9.6% of the statewide population). (1) Blacks and Asians are also slightly underrepresented in the veteran population when compared to the state as a whole.

Veteran poverty rates are consistently lower than nonveteran poverty rates across the country. In Nebraska, the veteran poverty rate is 5.9%, which is 4 points lower than the nonveteran poverty rate of 9.9%. (1) Unemployment rates tell a similar story. In all but six states, veterans have an unemployment rate that is equal to or lower than nonveterans. The lowest in the country is North Dakota, where the veteran unemployment rate is 0.9% compared to 2.7% for non-veterans. (1) In Nebraska, the veterans unemployment rate was 1.4% in 2019 compared to 3.2% for non-veterans. (1)

6

Nebraska’s estimated American Indian and Alaska Native population as of 2019. That was about 1.0% of the state’s total population. (2)

18,964

Number of Nebraska residents whose reported race was American Indian or Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more other races in 2019. (2)

34,247

574Number of American Indian tribes recognized by the U.S. federal government in 2020. (1)

9,592Number of people who identified their race as American Indian or Alaska Native alone who were employed within Nebraska’s workforce during an average month in 2019. They accounted for about 1.0% of all working Nebraskans. (3)

14.6%Percentage of employed American Indian or Alaska Native Nebraskans who worked in manufacturing, the industry sector that employed the greatest number of workers from this demographic, in 2019. (3)

$50,588Median 12-month income in 2019 (in 2019 inflation-adjusted dollars) for Nebraska households where the householder’s race was Native American or Alaska Native. (3)Estimated share of the employed American Indian

and Alaska Native population in Nebraska who worked in management, business, science, and arts occupations as of 2018. The second-most common occupation group for this population was sales and office occupations, at 22.7%. (4)

27.9%

American Indian and Alaska Native is one of the six major race categories defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and used by the Census Bureau and other government agencies for demographic statistical purposes. The others are white, black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races. (1)

6

Fast FactsRachel Stevens Research Analyst

American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage MonthAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York, after Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, rode across the U.S. on horseback seeking approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, then-President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating the month of November as what is now called "American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month." (1)

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7

Sources:1. U.S. Census Bureau. Facts for Features. American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2020. [Online] September 30, 2020. census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2020/

aian-month.html.2. American Community Survey, 2019 1-Year Estimates. Tables B02001, B02010, B17020C, B19013C, B01002C, S0101, B15002C, C21001C. [Online] data.census.gov.3. QWI Explorer Application. [Online] qwiexplorer.ces.census.gov/static/explore.html.4. American Community Survey, 2018 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. Table C24010C. [Online] data.census.gov

Median age of Nebraska’s American Indian and Alaska Native population. Across all races, the median age was 36.8. (3)

31.6

22.4%Share of American Indian and Alaska Native Nebraskans ages 25 and older who had obtained an associate degree or higher as of 2019. (3)

6.4% 2019 percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native Nebraskans ages 18 and older who were veterans. (2)

Percentage of Nebraska’s American Indian and Alaska Native population whose 12-month income was below poverty level in 2019. This was higher than Nebraska’s overall poverty rate for all races, which was 9.9%. (3)

23.5%

Photo by Andrew James on Unsplash

NOVEMBER 2020

8

Gas Prices Avg. Retail Price per Gallon

(Regular-Grade Unleaded Gasoline)

This figure represents the average price consumers paid at the pump for a gallon of regular-grade, unleaded gasoline during the specified timeframe. The main components affecting the retail price of gasoline are crude oil prices; costs and profits associated with refining, distribution, and market-ing; fluctuations in supply and demand; and federal, state, and local taxes.3

Data Sources: [Retrieved: October 2020.]NE- Nebraska Energy Office. Average Monthly Retail Motor Gasoline Prices in Nebraska. Regular Unleaded.http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/97.htm#regular_unleaded.U.S.- U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S. Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices.https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/PET_PRI_GND_A_EPMR_PTE_DPGAL_M.htm.

Avg. Weekly EarningsAll Private Employees

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Average weekly earnings represents the mean pay received by workers for services performed over the course of one week.2

Data Sources: [Retrieved: October 2020.]NE- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. State and Area Employment, Hours, & Earnings. Average Weekly Earnings of All Employees, In Dollars. Nebraska (Statewide): Total Private, Not Seasonally Adjusted. Series ID SMU31000000500000011. https://data.bls.gov/PDQWeb/sm.U.S.- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment, Hours, & Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics Survey (National). Average Weekly Earnings of All Employees: Total Private, Not Seasonally Adjusted. Series ID CES0500000011. https://data.bls.gov/PDQWeb/ce.

Initial Unemployment Claims

Monthly Avg. Number of Claims per Week

(Excludes CARES Act)

An initial claim is a request for determination of UI pro-gram eligibility filed by an unemployed individual following a separation from an employer. It can serve as an indica-tor of emerging labor market conditions in the area.1

Data Sources: [Retrieved: October 2020.]NE- U.S. Employment & Training Administration. Initial Claims in Nebraska (NEICLAIMS). Retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NEICLAIMS.U.S.- U.S. Employment & Training Administration. Initial Claims (ICNSA). Retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ICNSA.

$1,015.34United StatesCurrent 2020

$926.84NE 10-Year High(Aug. 2020)

$700.06NE 10-Year Low (Jun. 2012)

$899.33Nebraska

Current 2020

UP +1.2%NE Vs.

Last Year

DOWN -3.0%NE Vs.

Last Month

$1,200

$600

$777.40 NE 10-Year

Avg.

$3.93NE 10-Year High (May 2011)

$2.18United States Current 2020

$2.14 Nebraska

Current 2020

DOWN -13.7%

NE Vs. Last Year

UP +1.4%NE Vs.

Last Month

$0

$5.00

$2.82NE 10-Year

Avg.

$1.68NE 10-Year Low (Feb. 2016)

Economic Indicators: October Kermit Spade, Research Analyst

15,946 NE 10-Year High (Apr. 2020)

430NE 10-Year Low (Sept. 2019)

16,000

0

3,145Nebraska

Current 2020

UP +515.5%

NE Vs. Last Year

UP +10.2%

NE Vs. Last Month

772,536 - United States Current 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS 9

NOVEMBER 2020

Labor Force Participation Rate

Seasonally Adjusted

The labor force is comprised of all persons age 16 and over in the civilian, noninstitu-tional population who are either employed or unemployed but available for work and actively seeking employment. It excludes people doing unpaid homemaking or volunteer work, retired people, and people who are not employed and not actively seeking work. The labor force participation rate measures the labor force as a percentage of the total civilian, noninstitutional population, age 16 and over.1

Data Sources: [Retrieved: October 2020.]NE- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Force Participation Rate for Nebraska (LBSSA31). Retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LBSSA3.U.S.- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate (CIVPART). Retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART.

Housing Prices4-Quarter % ChangeSeasonally Adjusted

The housing price index (HPI) measures the movement of single-family house prices, based on purchases involving conventional mortgages purchased or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. “Four-quarter” change is relative to the same quarter one year earlier. HPI data are often considered useful for estimating housing affordability and projecting future changes in mortgage default rates.5

Data Source: [Retrieved: October 2020.]Federal Housing Finance Agency. Housing Price Index Datasets. Quarterly Data: Purchase-Only Indexes.https://www.fhfa.gov/DataTools/Downloads/Pages/House-Price-Index-Datasets.aspx#qpo

Data Sources: [Retrieved: October 2020.]NE- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in Midwest(CUUR0200SA0). Retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0200SA0#0.U.S.- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items(CPIAUCNS). Retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCNS.

Consumer Price Index12-Month % Change

Not Seasonally Adjusted

The consumer price index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for goods and services. It is used to determine the real purchasing power of con-sumers’ dollars, and as a measure of inflation.6

DOWN -0.6%NE Vs.

Last Year

DOWN -1.0%

NE Vs. Last Month

69.1%NE 10-Year Low (Mar. 2017)

61.4%United States Current 2020

69.2%Nebraska

Current 2020

50%

80%

70.4%NE 10-Year

Avg.72.0%NE 10-Year High (Jun. 2012)

Economic Indicators: October Kermit Spade, Research Analyst

+3.9%Midwest 10-Year High (Sept. 2011)

-1.1%Midwest 10-Year Low (Apr. 2015)

+1.1%Midwest Region

Current 2020

All Urban Consumers: All Items Index 1982–1984 = 100

-2.5%

5.0%

+1.3%United States Current 2020

+1.5%Midwest Region 10-Year Avg.

+8.1%NE 10-Year High (Q4 2017)

+5.4%United States Current 2020

-3.3%NE 10-Year Low (Q4 2010)

+4.8%Nebraska

Current 2020

FHFA Purchase-Only Housing Price Index

-10%

10%

3.9%NE 10-Year Avg.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reported that manufacturing accounted for over 11% of total economic output in both Nebraska and the United States as a whole in 2018. Nearly 13 million U.S. workers, 100,000 of them in Nebraska, were employed in manufacturing jobs in 2019. Over half of those employees worked in production occupations. An analysis of the employment, wages, and outlook for occupations in this industry revealed opportunities and threats moving forward. (1)

Manufacturing in NebraskaCompared to the nation as a whole, manufacturing played an even bigger role in Nebraska’s economy in 2018. The approximately 100,000 employees working within the state’s manufacturing sector comprised 9.7% of the total workforce statewide. Nebraska’s manufacturers generated $14.12 billion worth of goods, comprising 11.5% of the state’s overall economic output. (1)

Creating Products & Building Careers: Top Manufacturing Occupations in Nebraska & the USLaura L. Cooper, Research Analyst

Area Total Output Percent of Area's Economic Output

Total Number of Employees

Percent of Nonfarm Workforce

Nebraska $14.1 billion 11.5% 100,000 9.7%

U.S. $2,334.6 billion 11.4% 12.8 million 8.5%

Manufacturing Output and Employment in Nebraska and the US, 2018

Source: National Association of Manufacturers, State Manufacturing Data.

10

Image by Janno Nivergall from Pixabay

NOVEMBER 2020

Number of Manufacturing EstablishmentsManufacturing firms in Nebraska produced a diverse array of products, including food, beverages, chemicals, electronics, furniture, plastics, metals, minerals, and more. Data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) shows the largest number of manufacturing establishments in Nebraska in the food manufacturing subsector, with 336 establishments. The next three highest subsectors were fabricated metal product manufacturing (291), printing and related support activities (203), and machinery manufacturing (187). (3)

Nebraska Manufacturing Subsectors with the Most Establishments, 2019

336

291

203

187

148

142

121

82

79

72

70

59

51Computer and Electronic Product Mfg

Beverage & Tobacco Product Manufacturing

Wood Product Manufacturing

Plastics & Rubber Products Manufacturing

Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

Chemical Manufacturing

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing

Machinery Manufacturing

Printing and Related Support Activities

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

Food Manufacturing

Source: Nebraska Department of Labor, Office of Labor Market Information, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

TABLE OF CONTENTS 11

NOVEMBER 2020

Geographic Distribution of EmploymentNebraska’s manufacturing employment was concentrated in the eastern half of the state. QCEW data for 2019 showed that Douglas, Lancaster, and Hall Counties led the way with the highest average employment within manufacturing. (3)

Top 10 Nebraska Counties for Manufacturing Employment, 2019

1. Douglas County: 22,3862. Lancaster County: 12,4383. Hall County: 7,4014. Platte County: 6,0605. Dakota County: 5,058

6. Dodge County: 3,8587. Madison County: 3,7098. Dawson County: 3,6979. Buffalo County: 3,42510. Sarpy County: 3,353

Source: Nebraska Department of Labor, Office of Labor Market Information, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

Of the tens of thousands of Nebraskans employed in manufacturing in 2019, most positions fell into the category of production occupations.

Photo by Jon Kline from Pixabay

12

TABLE OF CONTENTS 13

NOVEMBER 2020

Production Occupations in NebraskaOf the tens of thousands of Nebraskans employed in manufacturing in 2019, most positions fell into the category of production occupations. Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) data showed that Nebraska had a higher concentration of employment in production occupations than the nation as a whole, based on location quotient data recorded in 2019. The location quotient compares state and national employment data; a value above one indicates a concentration of employment within the state that exceeds that of the country overall. (2)

Occupation title Employment Location quotient

Annual mean wage

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers 9,200 8.94 $34,720

Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 5,430 0.59 $34,010

First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 5,100 1.21 $63,300

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 4,340 1.58 $42,930

Machinists 4,320 1.69 $43,730

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 4,200 1.61 $35,920

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 4,000 1.04 $44,180

Helpers – Production Workers 2,300 1.13 $33,450

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 1,980 4.12 $40,720

Slaughterers and Meat Packers 1,850 3.76 $31,930

Printing Press Operators 1,840 1.59 $35,020

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers 1,740 1.24 $26,050

Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 1,730 2.07 $36,490

Food Batchmakers 1,340 1.26 $33,580

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 1,160 1.15 $46,810

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1,050 0.91 $37,580

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1,050 1.06 $32,690

Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 1,030 0.54 $32,470

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 1,010 1.04 $39,930

Production Workers, All Other 990 0.66 $30,380

Butchers and Meat Cutters 850 0.93 $33,900

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 850 2.48 $35,900

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators 830 1.01 $48,670

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 790 2.04 $36,500

Production Occupations with Highest Employment in Nebraska, May 2019

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics.

14

In the table , location quotients above one (representing the national average) are highlighted in green. Nebraska had nearly nine times the concentration of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (8.94) than there were across the United States. The following 12 occupations also possessed higher concentrations of employees in Nebraska than nationwide based upon their location quotients:

1. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers: 8.942. Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders: 4.123. Slaughterers and meat packers: 3.764. Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders: 3.635. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders: 2.646. Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 2.487. Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: 2.368. Stationary engineers and boiler operators: 2.299. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders: 2.1210. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders: 2.0711. Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders: 2.0412. Power distributors and dispatchers: 1.95 (2)

Comparing Nebraska to Bordering StatesAlthough other nearby states employed a larger number of total production workers, Nebraska had one of the region’s highest rates of growth in manufacturing output observed in recent years. NAM data indicated that Nebraska’s manufacturing output rose 41.6% between 2008 and 2018, from $10.0 billion to $14.1 billion. That rate of increase was second only to South Dakota’s 55.7% growth rate among states bordering Nebraska. (1)

$10.0

$3.4

$19.3

$19.8

$3.4

$31.9

$26.7

$14 .1

$ 1.9

$25.2 $2

7.2

$5.3

$40.7

$35.7

Kansas SouthNebraska Wyoming ColoradoDakota

Missouri Iowa

2008 2018

Manufacturing Output for Nebraska and Bordering States (in Billions of Dollars), 2008 and 2018

Source: National Association of Manufacturers, State Manufacturing Data.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 15

NOVEMBER 2020

When compared to its six bordering states, Nebraska’s average annual wage for production workers of $39,820 fell towards the middle of the range. Among our neighbors, the average annual wage for production workers was lowest in South Dakota ($36,030) and highest in Wyoming ($56,430). (2)

13,300

33,510

73,080

105,08

0

115,61

0

143,84

0

207,63

0

$56,43

0

$36,03

0

$39,82

0

$42,39

0

$41,53

0

$39,20

0

$39,38

0

Employment Annual Average Wage

Wyoming South Dakota Nebraska Colorado Kansas Iowa Missouri

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics.

Photo by Samir Arnautovic from Pixabay

Employment and Wages for Production Workers in Nebraska and Bordering States, 2019

16

The Future of ManufacturingProjected GrowthHistorically, food manufacturing had the greatest employment of all manufacturing subsectors in Nebraska. Based upon the Nebraska Department of Labor’s 2018 – 2028 long-term industry projections, this subsector is expected to keep its top rank, and may soon grow to nearly 40,000-strong in Nebraska. The fastest employment growth of any manufacturing subsector statewide is projected to be found in beverage and tobacco product manufacturing, with a 13% increase in employment between 2018 and 2028. (4)

The Final WordManufacturing has been a persistent economic driver in Nebraska that has generally tended towards growth over recent decades. The sector brought goods, businesses, and jobs that supported and diversified both the U.S. and Nebraska economies. Manufacturing is expected to see continuing employment growth over the next ten years.

687

6,065

2,335

5,514

3,288

39,509

9,004

606

5,661

2,186

5,165

3,089

37,270

8,565

Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing - 13%

Chemical Manufacturing - 7 %

Wood Product Manufacturing - 7%

Miscellaneous - 7%

Food Manufacturing - 6%

Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing

Manufacturing

- 6%

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing - 5%

Employment Projected Employment

Top Nebraska Manufacturing Subsectors by Projected Employment Growth, 2018 - 2028

Source: Nebraska Department of Labor, Long-Term Industry Projections (2018-2028).

Sources:1. National Association of Manufacturers, Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey: https://www.nam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NAM-2020-Q2-Outlook-Survey.pdf (accessed August 28, 2020).

2. National Association of Manufacturers, State Manufacturing Data: https://www.nam.org/state-manufacturing-data/ (accessed August 25, 2020).

3. Nebraska Department of Labor, Labor Market Information, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages: https://neworks.nebraska.gov/vosnet/analyzer/results.aspx?enc=1gt8rrZ6E81JzEhdCBDbv0G8vEbjRg+t/VBaxTqUkYU= Accessed 8/28/2020).

4. Nebraska Department of Labor, Labor Market Information, Workforce Information Grant Unit, Long-term Occupation Employment Projections, July 2020: https://neworks.nebraska.gov/gsipub/index.asp?docid=440 (accessed 8/28/2020).

5. Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_31-33.htm#00-0000 (accessed August 25, 2020).

6. U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Workforce Indicators: https://qwiexplorer.ces.census.gov/ (accessed 24 August 2020).

NOVEMBER 2020

Spotlight: The Unemployment Insurance Adjudication ProcessNancy Arroyo-Petri, Research Analyst & Grace Johnson, Public Information Officer

Nebraska has seen an unprecedented volume of unemployment claims during the pandemic. While the Nebraska Department of Labor has issued payments to over 140,000 individuals during the pandemic, some individuals do not qualify for benefits for various reasons.

Adjudication is the process used to resolve questions regarding eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. For example, a claim may be referred to an adjudicator if there are questions about why the worker separated from their employer. A claimant or employer may dispute the reasons for the separation, such as a quit, discharge, leave of absence, or lack of work. During the adjudication process, both the worker and employer are asked about the reason for separation and asked to provide supporting information. Once all necessary information has been gathered, the adjudicator will make a determination on the claim, following the requirements laid out in the Nebraska Employment Security Law.

Potential reasons for denial of benefits include being fired with cause, quitting voluntarily, or taking a leave of absence. While a claim is pending adjudication, a claimant should continue to file weekly claims online. If the Nebraska Department of Labor determines that a person has quit a job without good cause, the claim may be denied, or maximum benefits payable may be reduced. Examples of ‘good cause’ for quitting include unsafe work conditions, compelling health reasons, and quitting to escape spousal abuse.

Upon completing the investigation of the claim, the adjudicator will issue a written determination, which is then sent to both the claimant and employer. If either party disagrees with the adjudicator’s determination, they can begin an appeal process. Appeals can be filed online at NEworks.nebraska.gov. The appeal must be received within 20 calendar days from the date on which the original determination was mailed. Back pay is issued for weeks in which the worker is found to be eligible for benefits.

More information about the processing of unemployment insurance claims is available online at dol.nebraska.gov/uibenefits.

Photo by Christin Hume from Unsplash

TABLE OF CONTENTS 17

Nebraska Department of LaborLabor Market Information

PHONE 800-876-1377EMAIL lmi_ne@nebraska.gov

Nebraska Workforce Trends is published by the Nebraska Department of Labor in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. TDD: 1.800.833.7352Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

Labor market information is updated continuously. For the latest data, contact us at 800-876-1377 or email lmi_ne@nebraska.gov.