Counties in Nebraska by unemployment rate

Dawson County had the highest unemployment rate of 93 counties in May 2026, at 15.5%. Harlan County had the lowest, at 1.9%. The median was 2.5% and the figure for Nebraska was 3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest15.5Dawson County
Lowest1.9Harlan County
Median2.593 counties
Nebraska3History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Dawson CountyDawson County: 15.5 %15.5Logan CountyLogan County: 4.4 %4.4Loup CountyLoup County: 4.3 %4.3McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 4.2 %4.2Thomas CountyThomas County: 3.7 %3.7Banner CountyBanner County: 3.6 %3.6Hooker CountyHooker County: 3.5 %3.5Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 3.5 %3.5Arthur CountyArthur County: 3.3 %3.3Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 3.3 %3.3Thurston CountyThurston County: 3.3 %3.3Burt CountyBurt County: 3.2 %3.2Frontier CountyFrontier County: 3.1 %3.1Saline CountySaline County: 3.1 %3.1Box Butte CountyBox Butte County: 3 %3Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 3 %3Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 3 %3Chase CountyChase County: 2.9 %2.9Dawes CountyDawes County: 2.9 %2.9Garfield CountyGarfield County: 2.9 %2.9Johnson CountyJohnson County: 2.9 %2.9Morrill CountyMorrill County: 2.9 %2.9Sherman CountySherman County: 2.9 %2.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 2.9 %2.9Douglas CountyDouglas County: 2.8 %2.8Garden CountyGarden County: 2.8 %2.8Greeley CountyGreeley County: 2.8 %2.8Hall CountyHall County: 2.8 %2.8Hayes CountyHayes County: 2.8 %2.8Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 2.8 %2.8Adams CountyAdams County: 2.7 %2.7Cheyenne CountyCheyenne County: 2.7 %2.7Colfax CountyColfax County: 2.7 %2.7Deuel CountyDeuel County: 2.7 %2.7Dodge CountyDodge County: 2.7 %2.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.7 %2.7Sioux CountySioux County: 2.7 %2.7Blaine CountyBlaine County: 2.6 %2.6Cass CountyCass County: 2.6 %2.6Dakota CountyDakota County: 2.6 %2.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Dawson County15.5+12.8 pts
2Logan County4.4+1.5 pts
3Loup County4.3-0.3 pts
4McPherson County4.2-0.5 pts
5Thomas County3.7-1.1 pts
6Banner County3.6+0.4 pts
7Hooker County3.5-1.1 pts
7Keya Paha County3.5-0.2 pts
9Arthur County3.3-0.8 pts
9Nemaha County3.3-0.3 pts
9Thurston County3.3-0.1 pts
12Burt County3.2-0.1 pts
13Frontier County3.10 pts
13Saline County3.10 pts
15Box Butte County3+0.1 pts
15Hitchcock County3+0.5 pts
15Scotts Bluff County3-0.2 pts
18Chase County2.9+0.1 pts
18Dawes County2.9+0.1 pts
18Garfield County2.9-0.4 pts
18Johnson County2.9-0.8 pts
18Morrill County2.9-0.1 pts
18Sherman County2.9-0.7 pts
18Wayne County2.9-0.4 pts
25Douglas County2.8-0.3 pts
25Garden County2.8-0.6 pts
25Greeley County2.8-0.6 pts
25Hall County2.8-0.3 pts
25Hayes County2.8+0.2 pts
25Pawnee County2.80 pts
31Adams County2.70 pts
31Cheyenne County2.70 pts
31Colfax County2.7-0.2 pts
31Deuel County2.7-0.3 pts
31Dodge County2.7-0.2 pts
31Jefferson County2.7-0.3 pts
31Sioux County2.7-0.3 pts
38Blaine County2.60 pts
38Cass County2.6-0.3 pts
38Dakota County2.6-0.1 pts
38Gosper County2.6-0.5 pts
38Lancaster County2.6-0.2 pts
38Nance County2.6+0.3 pts
38Seward County2.60 pts
45Boyd County2.5-0.2 pts
45Dixon County2.5-0.1 pts
45Franklin County2.5-0.5 pts
45Perkins County2.5+0.2 pts
45Sarpy County2.5-0.2 pts
50Clay County2.4-0.3 pts
50Custer County2.4-0.1 pts
50Gage County2.4-0.3 pts
50Kearney County2.4-0.1 pts
50Keith County2.4+0.1 pts
50Lincoln County2.4-0.2 pts
50Madison County2.4-0.3 pts
50Otoe County2.4-0.1 pts
50Platte County2.4-0.4 pts
50Polk County2.40 pts
50Red Willow County2.40 pts
50Richardson County2.4-0.3 pts
50Sheridan County2.4+0.2 pts
50Webster County2.40 pts
50York County2.4-0.3 pts
65Antelope County2.3-0.2 pts
65Brown County2.3+0.3 pts
65Buffalo County2.3-0.1 pts
65Furnas County2.3-0.4 pts
65Howard County2.3-0.4 pts
65Knox County2.3-0.5 pts
65Pierce County2.3-0.1 pts
65Washington County2.3-0.2 pts
73Butler County2.2-0.2 pts
73Cedar County2.20 pts
73Grant County2.2-0.5 pts
73Nuckolls County2.20 pts
73Saunders County2.2-0.1 pts
73Stanton County2.2-0.4 pts
73Thayer County2.2-0.2 pts
73Valley County2.2-0.7 pts
73Wheeler County2.20 pts
82Merrick County2.1-0.2 pts
82Phelps County2.1-0.1 pts
82Rock County2.1-0.2 pts
85Boone County2-0.2 pts
85Dundy County2+0.1 pts
85Fillmore County2-0.1 pts
85Hamilton County2-0.2 pts
85Holt County2-0.3 pts
85Kimball County2-0.4 pts
91Cherry County1.9-0.2 pts
91Cuming County1.9-0.2 pts
91Harlan County1.9-0.4 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?

Dawson County, with 15.5% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Harlan County, with 1.9% in May 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