Counties in Nebraska by unemployment rate

Thomas County had the highest unemployment rate of 93 counties in January 2026, at 5.5%. Dundy County had the lowest, at 1.9%. The median was 3% and the figure for Nebraska was 3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest5.5Thomas County
Lowest1.9Dundy County
Median393 counties
Nebraska3History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Thomas CountyThomas County: 5.5 %5.5Hall CountyHall County: 5.4 %5.4Hooker CountyHooker County: 5.3 %5.3McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 4.6 %4.6Dakota CountyDakota County: 4.4 %4.4Garden CountyGarden County: 4.4 %4.4Greeley CountyGreeley County: 4.3 %4.3Saline CountySaline County: 4.3 %4.3Johnson CountyJohnson County: 4.1 %4.1Clay CountyClay County: 4 %4Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 4 %4Howard CountyHoward County: 3.9 %3.9Boyd CountyBoyd County: 3.8 %3.8Adams CountyAdams County: 3.6 %3.6Burt CountyBurt County: 3.6 %3.6Douglas CountyDouglas County: 3.6 %3.6Loup CountyLoup County: 3.6 %3.6Merrick CountyMerrick County: 3.5 %3.5Dawson CountyDawson County: 3.4 %3.4Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 3.4 %3.4Sioux CountySioux County: 3.4 %3.4Box Butte CountyBox Butte County: 3.3 %3.3Cass CountyCass County: 3.3 %3.3Cheyenne CountyCheyenne County: 3.3 %3.3Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 3.3 %3.3Knox CountyKnox County: 3.3 %3.3Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 3.3 %3.3Banner CountyBanner County: 3.2 %3.2Gosper CountyGosper County: 3.2 %3.2Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 3.2 %3.2Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 3.2 %3.2Otoe CountyOtoe County: 3.2 %3.2Sarpy CountySarpy County: 3.2 %3.2Antelope CountyAntelope County: 3.1 %3.1Dodge CountyDodge County: 3.1 %3.1Garfield CountyGarfield County: 3.1 %3.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.1 %3.1Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 3.1 %3.1Madison CountyMadison County: 3.1 %3.1Sherman CountySherman County: 3.1 %3.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Thomas County5.5+1.3 pts
2Hall County5.4+1.5 pts
3Hooker County5.3-2.4 pts
4McPherson County4.6+0.8 pts
5Dakota County4.40 pts
5Garden County4.4+0.6 pts
7Greeley County4.3+0.9 pts
7Saline County4.3+0.3 pts
9Johnson County4.1-0.5 pts
10Clay County4+0.4 pts
10Scotts Bluff County4+0.3 pts
12Howard County3.9+1.5 pts
13Boyd County3.8-0.4 pts
14Adams County3.6+0.5 pts
14Burt County3.6-0.4 pts
14Douglas County3.60 pts
14Loup County3.6-0.5 pts
18Merrick County3.5+1.1 pts
19Dawson County3.4+0.3 pts
19Nemaha County3.4-0.2 pts
19Sioux County3.4+0.1 pts
22Box Butte County3.3-0.2 pts
22Cass County3.3-0.2 pts
22Cheyenne County3.3+0.4 pts
22Keya Paha County3.3-0.7 pts
22Knox County3.3-0.4 pts
22Pawnee County3.3+0.4 pts
28Banner County3.2+0.1 pts
28Gosper County3.2+0.6 pts
28Hamilton County3.2+1.1 pts
28Hitchcock County3.2+0.2 pts
28Otoe County3.2+0.4 pts
28Sarpy County3.2+0.2 pts
34Antelope County3.1+0.2 pts
34Dodge County3.1-0.1 pts
34Garfield County3.1-0.1 pts
34Jefferson County3.1-0.1 pts
34Lancaster County3.1+0.1 pts
34Madison County3.1-0.1 pts
34Sherman County3.1+0.3 pts
41Frontier County3-0.6 pts
41Gage County3-0.3 pts
41Grant County3-1 pts
41Morrill County3-0.3 pts
41Nuckolls County3+0.4 pts
41Thurston County3-0.1 pts
41Webster County30 pts
48Dawes County2.90 pts
48Deuel County2.9-0.6 pts
48Dixon County2.9+0.2 pts
48Franklin County2.9+0.2 pts
48Hayes County2.9-0.2 pts
48Keith County2.9+0.1 pts
48Lincoln County2.9+0.1 pts
55Colfax County2.8-0.3 pts
55Polk County2.8+0.4 pts
55Washington County2.80 pts
58Arthur County2.7-0.3 pts
58Cedar County2.7+0.1 pts
58Furnas County2.7-0.2 pts
58Kimball County2.7+0.1 pts
58Pierce County2.70 pts
58Platte County2.7-0.1 pts
58Saunders County2.70 pts
58Stanton County2.7-0.3 pts
58Wayne County2.7+0.3 pts
67Custer County2.6+0.4 pts
67Kearney County2.60 pts
67Nance County2.6+0.3 pts
67Richardson County2.6-0.3 pts
71Buffalo County2.50 pts
71Butler County2.5+0.1 pts
71Fillmore County2.5+0.5 pts
71Logan County2.5-0.6 pts
71Red Willow County2.50 pts
71Valley County2.50 pts
71York County2.5-0.1 pts
78Chase County2.4-0.2 pts
78Cuming County2.4+0.1 pts
78Seward County2.40 pts
78Sheridan County2.4+0.1 pts
78Thayer County2.4-0.2 pts
83Blaine County2.3-0.4 pts
83Cherry County2.3+0.1 pts
83Phelps County2.3-0.1 pts
86Boone County2.2-0.3 pts
86Brown County2.2-0.3 pts
86Harlan County2.2-0.3 pts
86Holt County2.20 pts
86Perkins County2.20 pts
91Rock County2.1-0.4 pts
91Wheeler County2.1-0.4 pts
93Dundy County1.9-0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Thomas County, with 5.5% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Dundy County, with 1.9% in January 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Nebraska: more rankings