A University of Nebraska at Omaha economics professor who tracks employment trends across the state thinks June’s numbers could be pretty good, but he’s not so confident about July. Chris Decker expects overall, Nebraska could have added between eight and ten-thousand jobs last month. Those numbers come out next week. A recent uptick in first time jobless claims has him concerned.
“Had we had not had this outbreak toward the end of June in other states I really think we would have seen this recovery sustained,” Decker said. “I would have been continuing to predict a stronger July, but right now I am quite concerned about our July numbers.”
He says shutdowns in other states affect jobs here too and many employers are taking a cautious approach to rehiring in Nebraska. He thinks it might take well into next year before the state regains pre-COVID employment numbers.