The pandemic cost the state between 30,000-40,000 jobs, according to Nebraska's Chamber of Commerce & Industry president.
Bryan Slone said before the pandemic Nebraska needed about 50,000 jobs to meet its workforce needs. Now, he estimates that number is now around 80,000-90,000 thanks to the two years of lost job growth.
The solution, he said, comes in three parts: retaining young Nebraskans, job training and increasing legal immigration.
“Not only Nebraska, but the other rest of the country, needs to look very hard at nonpartisan immigration reform," Slone said Thursday on Nebraska Public Media's "Speaking of Nebraska." "Legal immigrants – who can work in the United States legally – that has to be part of the picture."
Despite setting records again this week for the lowest unemployment ever recorded by a state at 1.7%, Nebraska and the rest of country face a months-long workforce shortage that's left business strapped to execute regular duties.
Economists and other experts say the current situation is not all bad. "The good news is a lot of the people getting the biggest raises are the people that could use a raise the most: moderate skill, moderate income workers," said UNL economist Eric Thompson.
Hank Robinson, the vice president for institutional effectiveness at Metropolitan Community College, echoed that sentiment.
"This is probably the time in Nebraska's history where we've had the fewest number of people working multiple part-time jobs," Robinson said. "Because now they're able to find a full-time job that they weren't able to get before the pandemic."