Counties in Nebraska by unemployment rate

Dawson County had the highest unemployment rate of 93 counties in July 2026, at 18.8%. Perkins County had the lowest, at 1.8%. The median was 2.6% and the figure for Nebraska was 2.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest18.8Dawson County
Median2.693 counties
Nebraska2.9History

Top 40 counties, July 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Dawson CountyDawson County: 18.8 %18.8Hooker CountyHooker County: 5.1 %5.1Banner CountyBanner County: 4.7 %4.7Thomas CountyThomas County: 4.7 %4.7Logan CountyLogan County: 4.3 %4.3Dakota CountyDakota County: 3.9 %3.9Frontier CountyFrontier County: 3.9 %3.9Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 3.8 %3.8McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 3.7 %3.7Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 3.7 %3.7Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 3.7 %3.7Box Butte CountyBox Butte County: 3.6 %3.6Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 3.6 %3.6Dawes CountyDawes County: 3.5 %3.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 3.4 %3.4Loup CountyLoup County: 3.4 %3.4Blaine CountyBlaine County: 3.3 %3.3Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 3.3 %3.3Sioux CountySioux County: 3.3 %3.3Thurston CountyThurston County: 3.3 %3.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 3.3 %3.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.2 %3.2Richardson CountyRichardson County: 3.2 %3.2Saline CountySaline County: 3.2 %3.2Arthur CountyArthur County: 3.1 %3.1Douglas CountyDouglas County: 3.1 %3.1Gosper CountyGosper County: 3.1 %3.1Hayes CountyHayes County: 3.1 %3.1Otoe CountyOtoe County: 3.1 %3.1Adams CountyAdams County: 3 %3Sherman CountySherman County: 3 %3Cass CountyCass County: 2.9 %2.9Hall CountyHall County: 2.9 %2.9Madison CountyMadison County: 2.9 %2.9Burt CountyBurt County: 2.8 %2.8Deuel CountyDeuel County: 2.8 %2.8Grant CountyGrant County: 2.8 %2.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 2.8 %2.8Seward CountySeward County: 2.8 %2.8Brown CountyBrown County: 2.7 %2.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJuly 2026 (%)Change on July 2025
1Dawson County18.8+15.9 pts
2Hooker County5.1+2.1 pts
3Banner County4.7+1.1 pts
3Thomas County4.7-0.3 pts
5Logan County4.3+2.1 pts
6Dakota County3.9-0.2 pts
6Frontier County3.9+1.3 pts
8Keya Paha County3.8-0.2 pts
9McPherson County3.7-0.5 pts
9Nemaha County3.7+0.2 pts
9Scotts Bluff County3.70 pts
12Box Butte County3.60 pts
12Hitchcock County3.6+0.6 pts
14Dawes County3.50 pts
15Johnson County3.4-1.1 pts
15Loup County3.4-1.2 pts
17Blaine County3.3+0.9 pts
17Pawnee County3.3-0.1 pts
17Sioux County3.3+0.8 pts
17Thurston County3.3-0.3 pts
17Wayne County3.3-1.6 pts
22Jefferson County3.2-0.4 pts
22Richardson County3.2+0.3 pts
22Saline County3.2-0.1 pts
25Arthur County3.1+0.2 pts
25Douglas County3.1-0.3 pts
25Gosper County3.1+0.8 pts
25Hayes County3.1-0.3 pts
25Otoe County3.1-0.1 pts
30Adams County3-0.1 pts
30Sherman County3+0.1 pts
32Cass County2.9-0.2 pts
32Hall County2.9-1.4 pts
32Madison County2.9-0.6 pts
35Burt County2.8-0.2 pts
35Deuel County2.8-0.3 pts
35Grant County2.8+0.1 pts
35Lincoln County2.80 pts
35Seward County2.8+0.2 pts
40Brown County2.7+0.5 pts
40Chase County2.7-0.1 pts
40Cheyenne County2.7+0.1 pts
40Gage County2.7-2.8 pts
40Morrill County2.70 pts
40Sarpy County2.70 pts
46Dixon County2.6-0.5 pts
46Dodge County2.6-0.4 pts
46Garden County2.6-0.6 pts
46Lancaster County2.6-0.3 pts
46Nance County2.6+0.7 pts
46Red Willow County2.6+0.1 pts
46Sheridan County2.6+0.2 pts
53Boyd County2.5-0.1 pts
53Buffalo County2.50 pts
53Colfax County2.5-0.1 pts
53Custer County2.5+0.1 pts
53Kearney County2.5-0.1 pts
53Keith County2.5+0.1 pts
53Washington County2.5-0.2 pts
53Webster County2.50 pts
53York County2.5-0.3 pts
62Garfield County2.4-0.8 pts
62Greeley County2.4-0.7 pts
62Knox County2.4-0.1 pts
62Platte County2.4-0.3 pts
62Polk County2.4+0.1 pts
67Clay County2.3-0.2 pts
67Fillmore County2.3+0.2 pts
67Furnas County2.3-0.5 pts
67Merrick County2.3+0.1 pts
67Phelps County2.30 pts
67Saunders County2.30 pts
67Thayer County2.3-0.2 pts
74Butler County2.2+0.1 pts
74Franklin County2.2-0.7 pts
74Nuckolls County2.2-0.1 pts
74Rock County2.2+0.2 pts
74Stanton County2.2-1 pts
74Valley County2.2-0.1 pts
80Antelope County2.1-0.1 pts
80Cedar County2.1-0.8 pts
80Cherry County2.1+0.4 pts
80Howard County2.1-0.5 pts
80Wheeler County2.1-0.4 pts
85Holt County2-0.1 pts
85Kimball County2-0.3 pts
85Pierce County2-0.5 pts
88Boone County1.9-0.2 pts
88Dundy County1.9-0.1 pts
88Hamilton County1.9-0.3 pts
91Cuming County1.8-0.2 pts
91Harlan County1.8-0.3 pts
91Perkins County1.8-0.2 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?

Dawson County, with 18.8% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Perkins County, with 1.8% in July 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