TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

JAN 2016

Fast Facts - AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 2010 - 2014 Feature - NEBRASKA’S AREAS OF SUBSTANTIAL UNEMPLOYMENTOccupational Profile - PERSONAL CARE AIDES

2

Table of Contents

NOV UNEMPLOYMENT DATA

FAST FACTS

NEBRASKA’S ASU 2016

MAP FACTS

OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS

OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:

PERSONAL CARE AIDES

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

3

4

5

8

10

11

13

Helpful Links

Unemployment in Brief

Monthly Unemployment Rate

Previous Issues

NEworks

CREDITS

Nebraska Workforce Trends is published by the Nebraska Department of Labor - Labor Market Information Center in cooperation with the U.S.

Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assur-ances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued avail-ability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

Commissioner of LaborJohn H. Albin

LMI Administrator Phil Baker

Editor Scott Hunzeker

Editor Grace Johnson

EditorJennifer Gildersleeve

Graphic DesignerBrittney Lippincott

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

NOVEMBER UNEMPLOYMENT DATAByron Lefler, Research Analyst

LINCOLN MSA (not seasonally adjusted) November Unemployment Rate: 2.1% November Total Non-farm: 192,080Manufacturing: 14,197Largest OTM Increases:Professional & Business Services: 380 (2.0%)Trade, Transportation, & Utilities: 293 (0.8%)

OMAHA MSA (not seasonally adjusted) November Unemployment Rate: 2.7%November Total Non-farm: 499,521Manufacturing: 31,725Largest OTM Increases: Trade, Transportation, & Utilities: 2,138 (2.2%)Financial Activities: 580 (1.3%)

GRAND ISLAND MSA (not seasonally adjusted) November Unemployment Rate: 2.8%November Total Non-farm: 42,767Change (OTM): -88 (-0.2%)Change (OTY): -466 (-1.1%)

NEBRASKA (not seasonally adjusted)November Total Non-farm: 1,018,252 Manufacturing: 95,067Nebraska (smoothed seasonally adjusted)November Unemployment Rate: 2.9%Change (OTM): Unchanged at 2.9%Change (OTY): -0.2% Economic Regions (not seasonally adjusted)Central: 2.1% Mid Plains: 2.4% Northeast: 2.7% Panhandle: 2.7% Sandhills: 2.1% Southeast: 2.7%

Sources: 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics Program (CES)2. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)

NOVEMBER UNEMPLOYMENT RATES BY COUNTY*

Cherry2.0 Holt

1 .9

Custer1 .7

Sioux2.9

Lincoln2.4

Sheridan2.4

Morrill2.4

Garden2.7

Knox2.5

Keith2.3

Dawes2.1

Rock2.0

Brown3.5

Gage2.7

Hall3.0

Dundy1 .8

Chase1 .3

Buffalo1 .9

Grant2.1

Clay2.3

Kimball3.0

York2.2

Frontier2.3

Otoe2.5

Dawson2.7

Cedar2.3

Platte3.2

Arthur4.9

Burt3.4

Perkins1 .6

Cheyenne2.0

Hayes2.7

Blaine4.5

Loup3.0

Box Butte2.9

Cass2.5

Boyd2.0

Boone2.3

Banner2.7

Polk2.1

Butler2.4

Furnas2.3

Hooker2.6

Antelope2.1

Saline2.3

Valley2.3

Pierce1 .9

Logan3.4

Thomas2.1

Lancaster2.0

Dixon3.0

Harlan1 .7

Adams2.4

Thayer2.2

Dodge2.7

Phelps1 .9

Saunders2.5

McPherson2.7

Deuel1 .8

Howard2.3

Cuming2.2

Seward2.2

Greeley2.4

Fillmore2.3

Hitchcock3.1

Garfield1 .8

Franklin2.2

Keya Paha1 .9

Webster2.7

Nance2.3

Madison2.2

Wheeler2.1

Nuckolls2.0

Merrick2.9

Colfax2.3

Gosper1 .7

Scotts Bluff3.0

Jefferson2.3

Wayne2.0

Sherman2.2

Red Willow2.2

Kearney1 .9

Hamilton1 .9

Stanton2.1

Pawnee2.3

Richardson2.7

Nemaha2.9

Johnson2.7

Thurston5.7

Douglas2.8

Dakota4.1

Sarpy2.4

Washington2.5

County Rates

1 .3 - 2.0

2.1 - 2.4

2.5 - 2.8

2.9 - 3.5

3.6 - 5.7

*Not seasonally adjusted

4

FAST FACTS: ACS 2010-2014 5-YEAR ESTIMATES RELEASE Kermit Spade, Research Analyst

On Dec. 3, 2015, the Census Bureau released the latest 5-year estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS), which provides information on jobs and occupations, educational attainment, home ownership, and other topics. This data is used by public officials, planners, and entrepreneurs to analyze the past and plan for the future.1

Listed below are some examples of statistics about Nebraska contained in this latest release of American Community Survey data.

• There were 120,417 people living in Nebraska that were foreign born. Of these, 42,721 were naturalized citizens and 77,696 were not U.S. citizens.

• There were 460,008 children under 18 living in Nebraska. Of these, 33.8% were under 6, 34.0% were between 6 and 11, and 32.2% were 12 to 17.

• There were 382,869 children between the ages of 3 and 17. Of these, 345,020 were enrolled in school. Of those enrolled in school, 85.2% were enrolled in public school.

• The median age of those who married in the last 12 months was 29.5 for men and 28.0 for women.

• There were an estimated 731,347 households. Of these, 66,947 were receiving food stamps. Among households receiving food stamps, 56.1% were below the poverty level.

• Among all occupied housing units, 486,036 were owner occupied and 245,311 were renter occupied; 99.7% had complete plumbing facilities and 99.0% had complete kitchen facilities.

• There were 981,947 people who reported a single ancestry. Among those, 31.8% reported German ancestry.

• There were 903,327 workers 16 years and over who did not work at home. Among those, 142,862 left home to go to work between 7 am and 7:29 am, 158,670 left between 7:30 am and 8:00 am.

• There were 372,214 married-couple families, 30,529 male householders with no wife present, and 72,997 female householders with no husband present.

• Among all households, there were 42,169 unmarried-partner households.

• There were an estimated 14,616 multigenerational households.

• Among the population 16 to 64 years who have worked in the past 12 months; males worked a mean of 42.2 hours and females worked a mean of 35.8 hours.

• Among all households, 104,163 reported self-employment income.

These and other important statistics about Nebraska can be found at http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml.

SOURCES:

1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. What is the American Community Survey? Census.gov. [Online] 12 04, 2015. http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html.

2. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 2014 5-year estimates, Tables S0501, S0901, S1251, S22016, S2504, B04004, B08302, B11003, B11009. Census.gov. [Online] 12 03, 2015. [Cited: 12 04, 2015.] http://factfinder.census.gov/

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

NEBRASKA’S AREAS OF SUBSTANTIAL UNEMPLOYMENT 2016 Lenora Castillo, Research Analyst

As the economy improves, unemployment rates drop. This drop affects the number of areas that qualify as Areas of Substantial Unemployment (ASU) for the state.

In 2014 there were nine areas that qualified as ASUs and in 2015 that number dropped to five. In 2016 that number is even lower, with only four areas qualifying as ASUs for this year. The ASUs for 2016 are as follows:

1. Douglas/Sarpy County ASU

2. Lancaster County ASU

3. Scotts Bluff County ASU

4. Dakota County ASU

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) determines funding allocations under the Adult and Youth Program Activities of WIOA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics deals with issues concerning methodology used in developing employment and unemployment estimates used in designation of ASUs.

Funding is not based on the total number of ASUs in the state but on the total number of unemployed for all areas that qualify. How-ever, the number of unemployed can fluctu-ate. In 2014 the number of unemployed was 18,811, that number went up up to 23,680 in 2015 and this year it has dropped to 15,544.

Nebraska uses data at the tract level when qualifying areas as ASUs. Those areas must meet these three requirements to qualify:

1. Unemployment rate: the 12-month average (not seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for the reference period (July 2014 through June 2015) must be at least 6.5%.

2. Population: population for the ASU must be at least 10,000 persons based on the Census Bureau figures.

3. Geography: an ASU must be composed of a contiguous geographic areas com-posed of any combination of LAUS areas including counties, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), Micropolitan Statistical Areas (MCs), Labor Market Areas (LMA), cities, or census tracts within those areas.

For more information on ASUs, see the ASU article in the February-March 2015 issue of Nebraska Workforce Trends. If you have questions about the ASU process or if you need an electronic copy of one of the maps, contact Lenora Castillo at lenora.castillo@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-9841.

The search of ASUs for 2017 will take place sometime in August or September of 2016, but won’t be announced until January of 2017.

6

DOUGLAS/SARPY COUNTY ASU 2016

»

75.04 75.05

73.18

73.17

73.1573.09

73.1073.11

73.12

73.13

65.03

65.04

66.03

66.0266.04

67.0167.0367.04

73.14

74.69

74.71

74.41

74.46

74.4974.50

74.51

74.2974.06

74.0768.0368.04

68.0568.06

74.0869.03

69.04

74.47

74.42

74.72

74.7074.31

74.3274.33

74.36

74.2474.4074.39

74.4374.44

74.45

74.4874.05

74.3574.34

74.38

73.16

73.03

73.04

75.08

106.31

Douglas County

Sarpy County

107.01

107.02

102.08

101.03

105.01

105.02

105.03

30

3646

6455

56

48

4544

22

16

37

106.15

71.02

70.03

70.02

70.0169.06

74.58

74.6774.6874.66

74.6574.64

106.33

74.63

74.6274.61

74.6075.17

75.16

75.15

75.14

75.13

75.12

75.11

75.09

75.06

71.0174.5974.56

74.0969.05

106.18106.17106.16

106.22106.21

106.14

102.05

102.06102.01

103.02

104.02103.05

102.04104.01

101.08101.07

101.04

28

2726

42

25

2423

2120

3338

18

5

1211

7 8

4

6

3

2

525354

5857

68.03

63.02

61.0260

61.0163.01

63.02

66.05

66.06

59.0159.02

194043

505149

3231

35 34.0134.02

29

106.32

106.28

106.29

106.24

106.23

106.20

102.03

103.06

106.19

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7

104

103

101

102

4

1817

30.0330.02

31.03

5 6

.

9529

9530

9533

9536

9539

9538

9532

9531

9534

9537

LANCASTER COUNTY ASU 2016

»

SCOTTS BLUFF COUNTY ASU 2016

»

DAKOTA COUNTY ASU 2016

»

8

MAP FACTS: HOW NEBRASKA STAYS WARM Jodie Meyer, Research Analyst

Winter is officially here and the temperatures have fallen. This month’s map features how Nebraska residents heat their homes to stay warm in the winter. This data comes from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey 2010 to 2014 estimates.1 There are several heating sources reported on the survey and the map focuses on the type reported by the most residents of each county. The percentage shown represents the percentage of residents reporting the main heating source indicated.

In Nebraska, three main heating sources were most commonly reported. Utility gas was the most frequently reported source of heat across the state. A higher percentage of residents in metropolitan counties reported

this as the primary heat source compared to non-metropolitan areas of the state. The top three counties reporting utility gas all include metropolitan areas; Douglas (79.7 percent), Hall (76.8 percent), and Sarpy (75.9 percent).

Utility gas is piped through underground pipes from a central location to serve a neighborhood. Since the population is concentrated in the metropolitan areas of the state, it is more common for this infrastructure to be built to deliver this method of heating in those areas.

Bottles, tank, or liquid propane (LP) gas is stored in bottles or tanks that are refilled or exchanged when empty. Sixteen of Nebraska’s counties reported this as the main source of heat.

HEATING SOURCES BY COUNTY

»

Cherry47.6%

Custer33.2%

Holt38.2%

Lincoln60.1 %

Sioux60.3%

Sheridan48.6%

Garden43.1 %

Morrill49.3%

Dawes48.7%

Brown36.8%

Knox32.4%

Keith41 .7%

Rock37.1 %

Dundy40%

Chase44.1 %

Buffalo58.1 %

Gage45.9%

Kimball56.9%

Frontier40.6%

Dawson43.3%

Grant64.5%

Cedar37.9%

Perkins32.6%

Cheyenne64.2%

Hayes55.8%

Arthur52.4%

Blaine50.8%

Box Butte55.3%

Platte61 .5%

Boone43.4%Banner

61 %

Butler30%

Furnas58.1 %

Hooker63.1 %

Otoe54.2%

Antelope39.4%

Clay56.4%

Saline52.8%

Pierce36.6%

Loup48.8%

York44.9%

Logan71 .1 %

Valley56.1 %

Thomas48.1 %

Hall76.8%

Cass47.1 %

Harlan56.9%

Adams67.8%

Thayer42.3%

Dodge60.7%

Phelps62.8%

Saunders37%

McPherson58%

Burt45.3%

Howard36.4%

Cuming47.5%

Seward48.3%

Greeley37%

Fillmore49.6%

Hitchcock55.7%

Garfield39.5%

Franklin60%

Keya Paha45.3%

Polk43.1 %Deuel

66.5%

Webster60.2%

Madison56.7%

Wheeler58.8%

Nuckolls56.6%

Colfax40.1 %

Scotts Bluff62.2%

Jefferson38.2%

Wayne49.4%

Sherman36.3%

Red Willow66.6%

Kearney59.1 %

Pawnee31 .6%

Douglas79.7%

Boyd42%

Lancaster64.7%

Dixon36.2%

Nance41 .5%

Merrick47.5%

Gosper41 .5%

Hamilton58.4%

Stanton38.9%

Richardson51 .5%

Nemaha38.6%

Johnson41 .3%

Thurston43.2%

Sarpy75.9%

Dakota49.5%

Washington38.4%

Heating Source

Bottled, tank, or LP gas

Electricity

Utility gas

TABLE OF CONTENTS 9

All of the counties where this was the pri-mary source of heat were in non-metropol-itan areas of the state. On many farms and ranches across the state this was the primary source of heat due to local utilities not con-necting pipes out to the more remote areas. Logan County had the highest percentage of residents reporting this as the primary heat source at 71.1 percent. In the majority of coun-ties reporting this as the main heating source, over half of residents reported using liquid propane as the primary source of heat.

Electricity was reported as the main heating source by 16 counties in the state, the majority of them in non-metropolitan counties. Platte county residents reported the highest per-centage utilizing electric heating at 61.5 per-cent. In most counties reporting use of elec-tricity as the primary source of heat, under half of residents reported this as the primary source. In several of these counties, utility gas or liquid propone was a close second for the primary heating source reported.

Several occupations in Nebraska are essential to keeping these heating systems running. Gas plant operators distribute or process gas for utility companies through the control of compressors to maintain the correct pres-sures on main pipelines. According to data from the second quarter of 2015 from the occupational employment statistics program, there were 80 gas plant operators in the state with average hourly wages of $30.44.2

Power plant operators control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power and the 320 employed in the state made an average hourly wage of $31.57. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers install heating and cooling systems into homes and keep them running. Nebraska businesses employed 1,780 workers who made an average hourly wage of $23.91.

SOURCES:1. United States Census Bureau. 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. B25040: House Heating

Fuel - Universe: Occupied housing units. [Online] [Cited: December 3, 2015.] http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml.

2. Nebraska Department of Labor, Office of Labor Market Information. Occupational Employment Statistics. November 2015.

County Heating Source Percent

LoganBottled, tank, or LP gas

71.1%

Grant 64.5%

PlatteElectricity

61.5%

Valley 56.1%

DouglasUtility gas

79.7%

Hall 76.8%

NEBRASKA COUNTIES UTILIZING HIGHEST PERCENTAGE BY HEAT SOURCE

»

10

Kermit SpadeResearch Analyst

LINCOLN & OMAHA* AREA OPENINGS

NOVEMBER

TYPE OF BUSINESS NAME, JOBS ADDED

*Chatterbox Restaurant - Fremont

10

Hickory Road BQQ & Catering

SOURCES:Fremont Chamber of Commerce Fremont Tribune KHUB Radio Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Metropolitan Community College

NDOL Staff Omaha World Herald Strictly Business Western Douglas County Chamber WOWTV

OTHER

OTHER

OTHER

OTHER

OTHER

FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT

RETAIL/SALES

REAL ESTATE

HEALTH & EDUCATION

Casey’s General Store

Sherwin Williams Company

Beyond Calm Massage

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services/ Ambassador Real Estate

Cornerstone Travel Group

Fly & Brown Immigration Law

STATEWIDE OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS

PANHANDLE

SCOTTSBLUFFApplebee’s RestaurantFamous Footwear

CENTRAL

GRAND ISLAND/ HASTINGS

Harbor Freight - opening new facilities

MID-PLAINS

NORTH PLATTEBill Summers - Expansion

Bare Minerals MakeupJersey SubsVera Bradley Retail Store

NORTHEAST

NORFOLKPizza Ranch - 85 jobsWestside Family Vet - Expansion - 5 jobs

SOUTHEAST

OMAHA EXPANSIONS

NEBRASKA CITYMid-American Pickers

*Omaha Area Opening

TABLE OF CONTENTS 11

SUMMARY OF JOB DUTIES

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Personal care aides assist the elderly, conva-lescents, or persons with disabilities with daily living activates at the person’s home or in a care facility. Duties performed at a place of residence may include keeping house (mak-ing beds, doing laundry, washing dishes) and preparing meals. May provide assistance at non-residential care facilities. May advise fam-ilies, the elderly, convalescents, and persons with disabilities regarding such things as nutri-tion, cleanliness, and household activities.”1

Personal care aides do not provide medical care and are typically a lot more affordable for elderly and disabled clients, according to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, It goes on to say, “Clients often prefer to be cared for in their own homes, rather than a home care facility or hospital. Studies have found that home treatment is frequently more effective than care in a nursing home or hospital.”1

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

According to NEworks, most personal care aides are trained on the job. Many states do not require formal education for personal care aides, but most personal care aides have a high school diploma.2 The first graph on the following page shows the most common level of education required by employers nationally for personal care aides and the table shows the minimum required education level for job openings advertised online in Nebraska during the first week of January 2016.3

There are many occupations projected to grow in the next five years, and one expected to be high on the list is personal care aides. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of personal care aides is pro-jected to grow 26 percent from 2014 to 2024, a lot faster than the average for all occupa-tions.” This is one of the many occupations that will take care of America’s aging Baby Boomers. As the population ages, there will be a large increase in people requiring assis-tance.1

OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: PERSONAL CARE AIDESBrandon Jones, Research Analyst

NATIONAL PROJECTED CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT, 2014-24

»

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in U.S. Economy

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections Program

TOTAL, ALL OCCUPATIONS

OTHER PERSONAL CARE & SERVICE WORKERS

PERSONAL CARE AIDES 26%

16%

7%

MASTER'S DEGREE

BACHELOR'S DEGREE

SOME COLLEGE

POST-SECONDARY CERTIFICATE

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA/EQUIVALENT

<HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

53.51%

17.30%

16.65%

4.81%

1.31%6.41%

12

Source: NEworks

Table Source: NEworks

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS ON ADVERTISED JOBS

»

REQUIRED LEVEL OF EDUCATION

»

IMPORTANT QUALITIES

According to NEworks occupation details and education data, a personal care aide should be detail oriented. They must follow specific rules and protocols to help take care of clients. They will need interpersonal skills because they work so closely with their cli-ents. These clients might be in extreme pain or under mental stress. Personal care aides need to be sensitive to their client’s emotions. They must enjoy taking care of people at the same time as being cheerful, compassionate, and emotionally stable. A personal care aide needs to be comfortable performing physical tasks such as lifting or turning clients. And lastly, a personal care aide needs good time management skills. Clients and their families rely on them and it is important that they fol-low the agreed-upon schedules and arrive on time.2

WAGES

In the third quarter of 2015, the median wage of those working in this occupation in Nebraska was $22,652, or around $10.90/hr. The entry wage was $19,233 and the experi-enced wage was $24,704 annually.4

The wages for jobs advertised online in Nebraska during November 2015 were slightly lower, with an entry wage of $18,185, a median wage of $18,720, and an experienced wage of $21,474.5

TOTAL, ALL OCCUPATIONS

OTHER PERSONAL CARE & SERVICE WORKERS

PERSONAL CARE AIDES 26%

16%

7%

MASTER'S DEGREE

BACHELOR'S DEGREE

SOME COLLEGE

POST-SECONDARY CERTIFICATE

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA/EQUIVALENT

<HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

53.51%

17.30%

16.65%

4.81%

1.31%6.41%

TOTAL, ALL OCCUPATIONS

OTHER PERSONAL CARE & SERVICE WORKERS

PERSONAL CARE AIDES 26%

16%

7%

MASTER'S DEGREE

BACHELOR'S DEGREE

SOME COLLEGE

POST-SECONDARY CERTIFICATE

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA/EQUIVALENT

<HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

53.51%

17.30%

16.65%

4.81%

1.31%6.41%

Minumum Education Level

Job Openings %

No Minimum Education Requirement

1 9.09%

High School Diploma/Equivalent

8 72.73%

Vocational School Certificate

1 9.09%

Master’s Degree 1 9.09%

SOURCES:1. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-2017 Edition, Personal

Care Aides. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/personal-care-aides.htm

2. Nebraska Department of Labor, NEworks. 2015. Occupation Summary, Occupational Profile: Personal Care Aides. https://neworks.nebraska.gov

3. Nebraska Department of Labor, NEworks. 2015. Occupation Details, Education and Training Data: Personal Care Aides. https://neworks.nebraska.gov

4. Nebraska Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, Q3 2015. htts://.neworks.nebraska.gov

5. Nebraska Department of Labor, NEworks, Historical Data Analysis, Advertised Jobs Data, Jobs Data by Occupation, Wage Rates: Personal Care Aides, November 2015. https://.neworks.nebraska.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS 13

ECONOMIC INDICATORS AVERAGE WEEKLY MANUFACTURING HOURSKermit Spade, Research Analyst

In each new issue of Trends, the Economic Indicators section will feature a chart or graph focused on one of the economic indicators listed above. This month, we’ll be focusing on manufacturing employees’ average weekly hours.

According to the BLS, “Average weekly hours relate to the average hours per worker for which pay was received and is different from standard or scheduled hours. Factors such as unpaid absenteeism, labor turnover, part-time work, and stoppages cause average weekly hours to be lower than scheduled hours of work for an establishment. Group averages further reflect changes in the workweek of component industries. Average weekly hours are the total weekly hours divided by the employees paid for those hours.”1

The manufacturing average weekly hours series is used in the Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI), which forecasts changes in the business cycle. The Conference Board states that “the average hours worked per week by production workers in manufacturing industries tend to lead the business cycle because employers usually adjust work hours before increasing or decreasing their workforce.”2

NEBRASKA AVERAGE WEEKLY HOURS OF ALL EMPLOYEES, MANUFACTURING

TEXT SOURCES: 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Handbook of Methods, Chapter 2. Handbook of Methods. [Online] [Cited: 12 14, 2015.]

http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch2.pdf.

2. The Conference Board. Description of Components. conference-board.org. [Online] [Cited: 12 14, 2015.] https://www.conference-board.org/data/bci/index.cfm?id=2160#BCI01.

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5

Nebraska Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Manufacturing

Recessions Average Weekly Hours, ManufacturingSources:Bureau of Labor Statistics. State and Area Employment Hours. bls.gov. [Online] 12 18, 2015. [Cited: 12 18, 2015.] http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?sm.

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

Jan-

07M

ar-0

7M

ay-0

7Ju

l-07

Sep-

07N

ov-0

7Ja

n-08

Mar

-08

May

-08

Jul-0

8Se

p-08

Nov

-08

Jan-

09M

ar-0

9M

ay-0

9Ju

l-09

Sep-

09N

ov-0

9Ja

n-10

Mar

-10

May

-10

Jul-1

0Se

p-10

Nov

-10

Jan-

11M

ar-1

1M

ay-1

1Ju

l-11

Sep-

11N

ov-1

1Ja

n-12

Mar

-12

May

-12

Jul-1

2Se

p-12

Nov

-12

Jan-

13M

ar-1

3M

ay-1

3Ju

l-13

Sep-

13N

ov-1

3Ja

n-14

Mar

-14

May

-14

Jul-1

4Se

p-14

Nov

-14

Jan-

15M

ar-1

5M

ay-1

5Ju

l-15

Sep-

15N

ov-1

5

Nebraska Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Manufacturing

Recessions Average Weekly Hours, ManufacturingSources:Bureau of Labor Statistics. State and Area Employment Hours. bls.gov. [Online] 12 18, 2015. [Cited: 12 18, 2015.] http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?sm.

14

Change Over Last Quarter/Month

METRIC CURRENT TIME PERIOD

UNITED STATES

MIDWEST REGION

NEBRASKA

Average Weekly Manufacturing Hours November, 2015 +0.0 - -1.5

Initial Unemployment Claims November, 2015 +2.4% - +30.6%

Value of Manufacturers' New Orders for Con-sumer Goods

October, 2015 -0.4% - -

ISM Manufacturing: New Orders Index© November, 2015 -7.6% - -

Value of Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft

October, 2015 +1.3% - -

S&P 500© November, 2015 -2.8% - -

Leading Economic Index October, 2015 +1.5% - +1.6%

10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus Fed-eral Funds Rate

November, 2015 +2.1% - -

University of Michigan, Consumer Sentiment Index

November, 2015 +1.4% - -

Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted October, 2015 0.0% -0.1% -

Employment Cost Index 3rd Quarter, 2015 +0.6% - -

Producer Price Index: All Commodities November, 2015 -1.0% - -

Unemployment Rate, seasonally adjusted November, 2015 0.0% 0.0%* 0.0%

Real GDP, billions of chained 2009 dollars 3rd Quarter, 2015 +2.1% - -

Net Taxable Sales September, 2015 +0.8% - -

Barrel of Crude Oil, WTI-Cushing, Spot Price October, 2015 +$0.74 - -

Current Account Balance (millions of dollars) 2nd Quarter, 2015 $8,619

SOURCES:1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Customized Tables; State and Area Employment,

Hours and Earnings. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Online] http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?sm.

2. US. Employment and Training Administration. 4-Week Moving Average of Initial Claims. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/IC4WSA.

3. —. Initial Claims in Nebraska. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NEICLAIMS.

4. US. Bureau of the Census. Value of Manufacturers’ New Orders for Consumer Goods Industries. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/ACOGNO.

5. Institute for Supply Management. ISM Manufacturing: New Orders Index©. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NAPMNOI.

6. US. Bureau of the Census. Manufacturers’ New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NEWORDER.

7. S&P Dow Jones Indicies LLC. S&P 500©. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/SP500.

8. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Leading Index for the United States. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/USSLIND.

9. —. Leading Index for Nebraska. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NESLIND.

10. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus Federal Funds Rate. [Online] https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/T10YFF.

11. Survey Research Center, University of Michigan. Survey of Consumers. University of Michigan. [Online] http://www.press.sca.isr.umich.edu/press/press_release.

12. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CPIAUCNS.

13. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All items in Midwest urban. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CUUR0200SA0.

14. —. Employment Cost Index. Customized Tables. [Online] http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?ci.

15. —. Producer Price Index for All Commodities. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/PPIACO.

16. Civilian Unemployment Rate. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/UNRATE.

17. Unemployment Rate in Midwest Census Region. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CMWRUR.

18. Unemployment Rate in Nebraska. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/NEUR.

19. U.S. Department of Commerce: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Real Gross Domestic Product. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/GDPC1.

20. Nebraska Department of Revenue. Non-Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Collections. Nebraska Department of Revenue. [Online] http://www.revenue.nebraska.gov/research/net_taxable_sales/sales_14/2014_non-mv.html.

21. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Crude Oil Prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - Cushing, Oklahoma. Federal Reserve Economic Data. [Online] http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/MCOILWTICO.

22. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Balance of Payments on the Current Account. http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/IEABC

TABLE OF CONTENTS 15

Nebraska Department of LaborOffice of Labor Market Information550 S 16th StreetLincoln NE 68508

Telephone 800.876.1377Email ndol.lmi_ne@nebraska.gov

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.TDD: 1.800.833.7352