nebraska statewide labor availability report · 2019/6/28 · based on responses to the labor...
TRANSCRIPT
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Report
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study
Table of Contents3678
Figures & TablesExecutive SummaryStatewide Data Area
Introduction to Labor Availability
Results - Potential Job Seekers 10General Characteristics of Potential Job Seekers and Non-Seekers 10
Employment Characteristics of Potential Job Seekers 15
Multiple Job Holders 23Future Employment of Potential Job Seekers 24
Results - Active Job Seekers 36General Characteristics of Active Job Seekers 36
Future Employment of Active Job Seekers 38
Conclusion 42Number of Responses by Zip Code 44Methodology 48
Equal Opportunity Program/Employer TDD: 800.833.7352 TTY: 402.471.0016 (For Assistance with Unemployment Insurance)
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Released: June 2019 Version Date: 6/28/2019
3
Table 1 Potential Job Seeker and Active Job Seeker Statistics .................................................................................................6
Figure 1 Employment Status .........................................................................................................................................................................10
Figure 2 Age ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................10
Figure 3 Gender .......................................................................................................................................................................................................11
Figure 4 .1 Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity by Seeker Status ...........................................................................................................11
Figure 4 .2 Race ........................................................................................................................................................................................................11
Figure 5 Veteran Status .....................................................................................................................................................................................12
Figure 6 Educational Attainment of Potential Job Seekers ....................................................................................................12
Figure 7 Reported Skills of Potential Job Seekers ..........................................................................................................................13
Figure 8.1 Employed Potential Job Seekers Retiring within Five Years .......................................................................... 14
Figure 8.2 Percent of Employed Potential Job Seekers Indicating Retirement in the Next Five Years and Age .............................................................................................................. 14
Figure 9 Industry of Employment of Potential Job Seekers ...................................................................................................15
Figure 10 Occupation of Employment of Potential Job Seekers .........................................................................................16
Figure 11 Previous Industry of Non-Employed Potential Job Seekers ..............................................................................17
Figure 12 Previous Occupation of Non-Employed Potential Job Seekers .....................................................................18
Figure 13 Time Potential Job Seekers Spent Non-Employed .................................................................................................19
Figure 14 Benefits Offered to Employed Seekers ...........................................................................................................................19
Figures & Tables
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study4
Figure 15.1 Current Annual Salary of Employed Seekers ...........................................................................................................20
Figure 15.2 Current Hourly Wage of Employed Seekers ............................................................................................................20
Figure 16 Job Tenure of Employed Seekers ........................................................................................................................................21
Figure 17 Current and Maximum Commute Time .........................................................................................................................21
Figure 18 Satisfaction with Current Commute Time ...................................................................................................................22
Figure 19 Multiple Job Holding Potential Job Seekers’ Hours Worked...........................................................................23
Figure 20 Potential Job Seekers’ Reasons for Holding Multiple Jobs ..............................................................................23
Figure 21.1 Minimum Annual Salary Required .................................................................................................................................24
Figure 21.2 Minimum Hourly Wage Required ..................................................................................................................................24
Figure 22.1 Minimum Annual Salary Required Compared to Current Pay ...................................................................25
Figure 22.2 Minimum Hourly Wage Required Compared to Current Pay ...................................................................25
Figure 23.1 Minimum Annual Salary Increase Required in Percent of Current Pay ...............................................26
Figure 23. 2 Minimum Hourly Wage Increase Required in Percent of Current Pay ...............................................26
Figure 24.1 Minimum Required to Change Jobs Current and Minimum Annual Salary of Seekers ..........27
Figure 24.2 Minimum Required to Change Jobs Current and Minimum Hourly Wage of Seekers ...........27
Figure 25 Hours per Week Desired by Number of Jobs Worked ........................................................................................28
Figure 26 Hours of Work per Week Desired by Age Group ....................................................................................................28
Figure 27 Important Factors of Potential Job Seekers .............................................................................................................29
Figures & Tables
5
Figure 28.1 Difference in Important Factors by Annual Salary .............................................................................................30
Figure 28.2 Difference in Important Factors by Hourly Wage ...............................................................................................31
Figure 29 Difference in Important Factors by Employment Status .................................................................................32
Figure 30 Willingness to Obtain Training in the Next Year .....................................................................................................33
Figure 31 Barriers to Obtaining Training ..............................................................................................................................................33
Figure 32 Obstacles to Employment for Potential Job Seekers ..........................................................................................34
Figure 33 Unused Skills of Overqualified Employed Potential Job Seekers................................................................35
Figure 34 Employment Status of Active Job Seekers .................................................................................................................36
Figure 35 Time Active Job Seekers Spent Non-Employed ......................................................................................................36
Figure 36 Educational Attainment of Active Job Seekers .......................................................................................................36
Figure 37 Reported Skills of Active Job Seekers .............................................................................................................................37
Figure 38 Important Factors When Choosing New Employment ....................................................................................38
Figure 39.1 Minimum Annual Salary Required to Change Jobs Compared to Current Pay .............................39
Figure 39.2 Minimum Hourly Wage Required to Change Jobs Compared to Current Pay .............................39
Figure 40 Willingness to Obtain Training ..........................................................................................................................................40
Figure 41 Barriers to Obtaining Training .............................................................................................................................................40
Figure 4 2 Obstacles to Employment.......................................................................................................................................................41
Figure 4 3 Unused Skills of Overqualified Employed Active Job Seekers .......................................................................41
Figures & Tables
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study6
Potential job seekers indicated inadequate pay offered at area employers, lack of job opportunities in the area, and inadequate benefits offered by area employers as the most common obstacles to improving their employment situation.Active job seekers are a subset of potential job seekers who reported they were actively seeking a new job. An estimated 141,277 active job seekers, 18 and over, were seeking employment in Nebraska at the time of the studies. The median minimum pay that active job seekers required to improve their employment situation was $15 for hourly employees and $50,000 a year for salaried employees.
Most active job seekers were employed (80.7%) and the median job tenure of active seekers was four years and one month. Over 50% of active seekers held a bachelor’s degree, and their most important factors when choosing a new job were also salary, health insurance, and retirement benefits. The most common obstacles to active job seekers were similar to those reported by potential job seekers: lack of job opportunities in the area, inadequate pay offered, and inadequate benefits at area employers.
This study has identified that there is a large pool of individuals actively seeking work, as well as potential job seekers in Nebraska. The findings can be used to better understand what is important to these active and potential job seekers and the barriers they may see to accepting a new job. Economic developers, educators, employers, legislators, and others involved in shaping local and statewide economies can use this information to help existing businesses grow and attract new employers and workers to the state.
Executive SummaryBased on responses to the Labor Availability Surveys from 2015 to 2018, which included all or parts of 82 counties in Nebraska, there were an estimated 454,984 potential job seekers age 18 and over in Nebraska. The majority of potential job seekers in the survey area were currently employed (86.3%). Others were out of work or seeking to reenter the workforce after time spent in retirement or homemaking.
Potential job seekers indicated that they were willing to take new work or change jobs in the next year if a suitable job presented itself. The median minimum pay that potential job seekers required to improve their employment situation was $55,000 for salaried workers and $16 per hour for hourly workers. The median tenure of employed potential job seekers at their current job was five years and three months. Nearly 50% of potential job seekers reported they held a bachelor’s or 4-year degree. Potential job seekers indicated salary, health insurance, and retirement benefits as the most important factors in improving their employment situation.
Table 1 Potential Job Seeker and Active Job Seeker Statistics
Potential Job Seekers Active Job Seekers
Estimated Total in Survey Area (18 and over) 454,984 141,277
Median Minimum Wage Required to Change Jobs Hourly $16.00 Hourly $15.00 Yearly $55,000 Yearly $50,000
Percent Employed 86.3% 80.7%
Median Tenure of Employed Job Seekers 5 years, 3 months 4 years, 1 month
Seekers with a Bachelor’s Degree 49.7% 50.4%
Most Important Factors in Improving Employment Situation
Salary, Health insurance, Retirement benefits
Salary, Health insurance, Retirement benefits
Most Common Obstacles to Improving Employment Situation
Inadequate pay offered, Lack of job opportunities in the area, Inadequate benefits at area employers
Lack of job opportunities in the area, Inadequate pay offered, Inadequate benefits at area employers
Statistic
The total coverage of all survey areas are displayed on this page. According to 2010 Demographic Profile Census data, the total population of the ZIP codes included in the data set was 1,728,541 individuals, and 1,294,128 of these individuals were ages 18 and over. The survey asked the adult age 19 or over, who had the next birthday, to respond to the survey. In total, the statewide data set includes 21,593 responses from Nebraska ZIP codes in the original survey areas. A full list of the number of responses by ZIP code, as well as the methodology for defining the survey areas, is included on page 43.
Statewide Data Area
CherryHolt
Custer
Sioux
Lincoln
Sheridan
GardenMorrill
Knox
Keith
RockBrown
Gage
Chase
Hall
Dundy
Grant
Buffalo
Clay
OtoeDawson
Cedar
Frontier
York
Platte
Hayes
Perkins
Blaine
Arthur
BurtLoup
Cass
Banner
Boone
Boyd
Polk
Hooker
Furnas
Butler
Saline
AntelopePierce
ValleyLogan
Thomas
Harlan
Dixon
Adams
Thayer
Dodge
Phelps
Saunders
Deuel
McPherson
Seward
Howard
Greeley
Cuming
Keya Paha
Garfield
Fillmore
Nance
Hitchcock
Wheeler
Franklin Webster
Madison
Merrick
Colfax
Nuckolls
Gosper
Wayne
Sherman
Kearney
Red Willow
Scotts Bluff
Jefferson
Hamilton
Pawnee
Nemaha
Richardson
Thurston
Douglas
Sarpy
Lancaster
Stanton
Johnson
Dakota
Box Butte
Kimball Cheyenne
Washing nto
7Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study8
Beginning in the spring of 2015, the Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL), Nebraska Department of Economic Development (NDED) and the Bureau of Sociological Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (BOSR) began a collaboration on a project designed to measure labor availability in Nebraska areas.
NDOL frequently collects varied data about Nebraska workers and provides that information to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS then analyzes the data to estimate, for example, how many people work in different industries and occupations or how many people work or do not work. While the BLS and NDOL produce a rich data catalog, neither agency regularly measures the reasons why workers choose whether to improve their employment situation or not work at all. In the context of this report, an improved employment situation is not uniform and depends on the perspective of the individual (e.g., shorter commute, flexible hours, better benefits, etc.).
Furthermore, there are some datasets available that count only certain types of job seekers, such as unemployed individuals or active job seekers, as part of the labor pool. However, a few key segments of the labor pool, such as people who are currently employed but may change jobs given the right opportunity, or those who are not working but may reenter the labor force, are often unaccounted for in estimates of labor availability. Details about this portion of the labor pool as well as unemployed or active job seekers in a local labor pool are useful to economic developers and business site selectors. This study aims to supplement BLS and NDOL data with information about worker
motivations in Nebraska. Understanding why people take a job helps stakeholders understand how an employer might attract new workers. In addition, understanding the characteristics of the current labor force and the incentives required for residents to change jobs could shed light on how communities might improve the local labor force.
In order to create a dataset that was comparable to the adult population of the survey area, respondents were assigned weights by BOSR to be as representative of the survey area as possible. Survey responses were weighted by age and gender, using Census data, based on the six community college regions in Nebraska. Utilizing these data weights, the demographic characteristics of respondents for the most part tended to follow Census estimates.
Introduction to Labor Availability
THE GEOGRAPHICAL COMPONENT OF LABOR AVAILABILITY narrows down the labor pool to those who are located near or those willing to travel to a specific location to work.
THE HUMAN COMPONENT OF LABOR AVAILABILITY depends upon the characteristics of the potential workforce in the area. People take, keep, and change jobs for a variety of reasons. Salary and benefits are important, but other factors including convenience, security, family obligations, personal fulfillment, age, gender, education, and training, contribute to workers’ employment decisions. These motivations and demographic characteristics determine labor availability within a region.
Labor availability describes how many people within a given area are available and willing to take a new job. Labor availability has two components: geographical and human.
9
Based on the percentage of respondents identifying as potential job seekers in the entire survey area (35.2%) and 2010 Census data, there were an estimated 454,984 potential job seekers 18 years old and over in the statewide survey area.
A portion of potential job seekers in the survey area reported they were actively seeking a new job (31.1%). Based on the percentage of active job seekers, there were an estimated 141,277 individuals in the surveyed areas of Nebraska age 18 and over actively seeking work.
In the survey, respondents were asked to identify if they were employed, unemployed, retired, or a homemaker. Respondents who indicated that they were unemployed, retired, or a homemaker were considered non-employed. Included in the non-employed and employed groups are recent graduates and current students. The employed and non-employed were instructed to answer separate sets of follow-up questions. Questions about future employment were posed to all respondents except those who indicated that they were both non-employed and non-seekers. The questionnaire ended with survey respondents providing information about their age, gender, education and skill level. Discussed in this section of results are general characteristics of potential job seekers and non-seekers.
Key Terms
POTENTIAL JOB SEEKER An employed person who answered either ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ to the question “Are you likely to change jobs in the next year if a suitable job is available?” or a non-employed person who answered ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ to the question “Are you likely to reenter the workforce in the next year if a suitable job is available?” The potential job seekers group includes all individuals who indicated that they might accept a new job within the next year, given the right circumstances. Potential job seekers are also referred to as seekers in this report
ACTIVE JOB SEEKER A subset of potential job seeker who answered ‘yes’ to the question “Are you actively seeking a new job?”
NON-SEEKER An employed person who responded ‘no’ to the question “Are you likely to change jobs in the next year if a suitable job is available?” or a non-employed person who responded ‘no’ to the question “Are you likely to reenter the workforce in the next year if a suitable job is available?” The non-seeker group includes all individuals who stated that they would not accept a new job in the next year.
Based on the percentage of respondents identifying as potential job seekers (35.2%), there were an estimated 454,984 potential job seekers 18 y ears old and over in Nebraska in the time frame covered by the surveys. Much of the Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Report is focused on potential job seekers, as they represent a comprehensive pool of people who may be willing to accept new employment.
The estimates for gender from the survey results were within 0.2% of Census estimates and the survey estimates for age were within 1.6% of Census estimates. This is encouraging, as it means the sample shares many properties with the target population. An explanation of the methodology used for this analysis is in the appendix.
Counted in Census data from the 2010 Demographic Profile were 1,725,541 individuals and 1,294,128 individuals age 18 and over in the ZIP codes included in the analysis. The statewide population of Nebraska in 2010 was 1,826,341, and therefore 94.4% of the Nebraska population is represented in the surveyed ZIP codes.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study10
7.2%
26.1%
26.2%
21.4%
15.2%
4.0%
1.5%
15.2%
19.7%
16.6%
21.2%
25.8%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
24 & Under
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Potential job seekers tended to be younger than non-seekers (see Figure 2). Of those who reported their age, 59.5% of potential job seekers were under the age of 45, and 36.4% of non-seekers were under 45 years of age. Among non-seekers, 25.8% were 65 years old or older. Individuals age 65 and over may be more likely to be non-seekers due to retirement. Omaha area potential job seekers were most likely to be under 45 years of age (63.4%) and 8.7% of O’Neill area potential job seekers were age 65 and over.
Younger respondents may have been more likely to respond that they were potential job seekers because they were not as established in their careers, so they may have been more willing to seek career advancement through new employment.
Figure 2 Age
As seen in Figure 1, most potential job seekers reported that they were employed (86.3%). A relatively low percentage of potential job seekers were either unemployed (7%) or homemakers (2.8%). Non-seekers more often reported being retired (25.5%) than potential job seekers (3.9%). When only considering non-employed potential job seekers, the greatest percentage reported that they were unemployed (51.2%), 28.5% stated that they were retired, and 20.3% stated that they were homemakers. Comparing all survey areas, potential job seekers in the Columbus area were most likely to be employed (88.7%) and potential job seekers in the Scottsbluff area were most likely to be unemployed (10.5%).
86.3%
68.9%
7.0%
2.3%
3.9%
25.5%
2.8%
3.3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Potential Job Seekers
Non-Potential Job Seekers
Employed Unemployed Retired Homemaker
Figure 1 Employment Status
Results - Potential Job SeekersGeneral Characteristics of Potential Job Seekers and Non-Seekers
11
Potential job seekers were comprised of 50.4% females and 49.6% males (see Figure 3). Over 59% of the potential job seekers in the Norfolk survey area were women, higher than other areas surveyed. Omaha had the highest percentage of male job seekers at 53.6%.
Figure 3 Gender
50.4% 51.4%49.6% 48.6%
0%20%40%60%80%
100%
Potential JobSeekers
Non-potential JobSeekers
Female Male
Of those who reported their ethnicity, 3.4% of all survey respondents identified as Hispanic or Latino. As seen in Figure 4, 5.1% of potential job seekers and 2.5% of non-seekers identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Figure 4 .1 Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity by Seeker Status
5.1%2.5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Potential JobSeekers
Non-Potential JobSeekers
91.5%
3.1%
2.0%
0.5%
0.1%
0.7%
2.1%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
White (Caucasian)
Black or African American
Asian
American Indian or Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian or Other PacificIslander
Other
Two or More
Figure 4 .2 Race
Accounting for those who indicated a single race, White (Caucasian) was the most common race reported by potential job seekers at 91.5%. Black or African American (3.1%), Asian (2.0%), American Indian or Alaska native (0.5%) respondents were also represented in the data. Less than 1% of respondents considered themselves native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (0.1%), and 2.1% of respondents reported two or more races. Potential job seekers were slightly more likely to be minorities than non-seekers. More than 8% of potential seekers were non-white, including those reporting two or more races, compared to 4.4% of non-seekers.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study12
Potential job seekers were less likely to be veterans than non-seekers (see Figure 5). Veterans comprised 7.3% of potential job seekers compared to 11.9% of non-seekers. More than 59% of veterans who responded to the survey were 55 years of age or older. Among the separate survey areas, the region with greatest percentage of potential job seeking veterans lived in the Omaha survey area (9.6%), and the area with the smallest percentage of potential job seeking veterans was Fremont (4.4%).
7.3%
92.7%
11.9%
88.1%
0%20%40%60%80%
100%
Veterans Non-Veterans
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Figure 5 Veteran Status
Greater than 97% of potential job seekers indicated that they were a high school graduate or had a GED. Over 15% of the potential job seekers in this group responded that they held a technical or vocational degree, and 23.5% held an associate or 2-year degree. More than 49% affirmed they held a bachelor’s or 4-year degree, and 23.9% responded they held a graduate or professional degree. Some respondents held multiple degrees at the time of survey. Over 9% of potential job seekers reported that they were currently attending, and 11.8% of potential job seekers were planning to attend, a trade/vocational school, community college, or 4-year college. Lincoln survey area potential job seekers were most likely to be bachelor’s degree holders (56.7%), and Omaha survey area potential job seekers were most likely to be graduate degree holders (27.4%).
Figure 6 Educational Attainment of Potential Job Seekers
97.1%
15.4%
23.5%
49.7%
23.9%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
High school graduate or GED
Technical or vocational degree
Associate or 2-year degree
Bachelor's or 4-year degree
Graduate or professional degree
The Labor Availability Study is a questionnaire-based research project aimed at helping workers and businesses make more informed decisions about the workforce and job market in local areas.
Check out local area reports on labor availability, business hiring and training needs, and skill gaps on the Labor Market Information Publications page at: NEworks.nebraska.gov
13
Potential job seekers rated themselves on various skills using the following rating scale: none, basic, intermediate, and advanced (see Figure 7). At least 71% of respondents rated themselves as advanced or intermediate in all listed skills except sales skills (40.2%) and advanced computer skills (25.9%). Potential job seekers most often rated themselves as advanced in their work ethic (77.8%), ability to work independently (74%), and willingness to learn (69.4%). A greater percentage of Sidney area potential job seekers rated themselves as advanced in advanced computer skills (15.2%) followed by seekers in Omaha (14.7%) and Lincoln (14.5%).
Figure 7 Reported Skills of Potential Job Seekers
77.8%
74.0%
69.4%
64.7%
63.0%
61.8%
60.4%
53.0%
47.7%
46.7%
46.3%
45.3%
42.8%
39.8%
39.3%
38.6%
14.0%
10.7%
19.0%
21.8%
24.9%
29.7%
29.8%
31.7%
32.8%
38.1%
33.6%
37.9%
32.4%
40.1%
35.5%
42.7%
31.9%
41.8%
26.2%
15.2%
3.0%
3.9%
5.4%
5.2%
6.7%
5.9%
6.0%
8.3%
14.6%
12.6%
20.9%
13.7%
18.9%
14.9%
22.3%
18.5%
38.1%
33.1%
0.2%
0.3%
0.2%
0.4%
0.5%
0.5%
0.7%
0.6%
4.2%
2.8%
0.4%
1.0%
2.8%
2.5%
6.4%
1.0%
21.7%
41.0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Work ethic
Ability to work independently
Willingness to learn
Ability to work as a team
Ability to problem solve
Ability to pay attention to detail
Positive attitude
Ability to adapt to change
Customer service
Critical thinking
Basic math
Verbal communication
Written communication
Leadership
Basic computer
Creativity
Sales
Advanced computer
Advanced Intermediate Basic None
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study14
Of employed potential job seekers in Nebraska who answered questions regarding their retirement plans, the vast majority (86.5%) did not plan to retire in the next five years (see Figure 8). The remaining currently employed potential job seekers in the area stated that they were either planning to retire (5.5%) or may retire (8.0%) in the next five years. More than 9% of potential job seekers in the O’Neill survey area were planning to retire, whereas only 4.5% of potential job seekers in Lincoln were planning to retire in the next five years.
Figure 8.1 Employed Potential Job Seekers Retiring within Five Years
5.5% 8.0%
86.5%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Yes Maybe No
Figure 8.2 displays the relationship between age of potential job seekers and the percent of potential job seekers indicating they plan to retire in the next five years. Only those age 50 up to age 75 are displayed. While there are some younger than age 50 planning to retire and some above age 75 not planning to retire, this group of interest shows that there will be employees leaving the labor force. Retirement plans and age are related in this data set such that as age increases the percentage of potential job seekers indicating that they plan to retire increases, generally.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
50 55 60 65 70 75
Perc
ent S
ayin
g Ye
s
Age
Figure 8.2 Percent of Employed Potential Job Seekers Indicating Retirement in the Next Five Years and Age
15
18.3%
12.8%
8.0%
7.8%
7.4%
5.8%
5.4%
4.9%
4.9%
4.7%
4.2%
3.6%
3.2%
2.7%
2.4%
1.8%
1.4%
0.8%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20%
Health Care & Social Assistance
Education
Finance & Insurance
Manufacturing
Government
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
Real Estate & Rental
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
Retail Trade
Construction
Food Service & Accommodation
Transportation & Warehousing
Other Services
Information
Administrative & Support Services
Utilities
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Wholesale Trade
Employment Characteristics of Potential Job Seekers
Figure 9 Industry of Employment of Potential Job Seekers
Survey respondents answered questions about the industry of their employer (Figure 9) and their current occupation (Figure 10). The largest percentage of employed potential job seekers worked in the health care and social assistance (18.3%), education (12.8%), and finance and insurance (8%) industries.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study16
14.1%
9.6%
8.3%
8.2%
7.7%
7.6%
5.0%
4.8%
4.2%
3.9%
3.6%
3.1%
2.9%
2.8%
2.6%
2.2%
1.9%
1.8%
1.7%
1.6%
1.5%
1.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Office and Administrative Support
Management
Education, Training, and Library
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Business and Financial Operations
Sales and Related
Production
Transportation and Material Moving
Computer and Mathematical
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Construction and Extraction
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Healthcare Support
Community and Social Service
Architecture and Engineering
Personal Care and Service
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Protective Service
Legal
Figure 10 Occupation of Employment of Potential Job Seekers
Currently employed potential job seekers who reported their occupation (see Figure 10) were most often employed in the office and administrative support (14.1%) occupation group, followed by management (9.6%), and education, training, and library (8.3%) occupation groups.
The percentage of workers employed by both industry and occupation do not correspond directly with other data published by the NDOL. This may be partially because survey data was self-reported versus NDOL information collected via other sources, but also that data reported in Figures 9 and 10 is specific to potential job seekers and not everyone employed.
17
13.8%11.7%
9.0%8.9%
7.5%7.1%
6.4%5.0%5.0%
4.2%4.2%
4.0%3.4%3.3%
3.1%1.9%
1.1%0.3%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Health Care & Social AssistanceEducation
ManufacturingFood Service & Accommodation
GovernmentReal Estate & RentalFinance & Insurance
Transportation & WarehousingRetail Trade
Professional, Scientific & Technical ServicesAdministrative & Support Services
Other ServicesAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
InformationConstruction
UtilitiesWholesale Trade
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Figure 11 Previous Industry of Non-Employed Potential Job Seekers
As seen in Figure 11, the greatest percentage of non-employed (unemployed, retired, or homemaker) potential job seekers previously held employment in the health care and social assistance (13.8%) industry, followed by the education (11.7%), and manufacturing (9%) industries. In the Norfolk survey area, more than 23% of non-employed potential job seekers previously held employment in the manufacturing industry. All respondent-specified business activities were reclassified into the listed industries.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study18
18.4%8.9%
8.1%7.5%
7.3%6.7%
6.5%6.0%
4.4%3.3%
2.9%2.5%2.4%2.4%2.3%
2.1%1.7%
1.5%1.5%1.4%
1.1%1.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Office and Administrative SupportSales and Related
ManagementBusiness and Financial Operations
Education, Training, and LibraryFood Preparation and Serving Related
Transportation and Material MovingProduction
Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalBuilding and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Healthcare SupportCommunity and Social Service
Computer and MathematicalProtective Service
Installation, Maintenance, and RepairConstruction and Extraction
Architecture and EngineeringLife, Physical, and Social Science
LegalPersonal Care and Service
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and MediaFarming, Fishing, and Forestry
Figure 12 Previous Occupation of Non-Employed Potential Job Seekers
Non-employed potential job seekers also provided the job title they held at their previous employer, which was categorized into an occupational group (Figure 12). The greatest percentage of non-employed potential job seekers previously held a job in the office and administrative support (18.4%) group, followed by the sales and related (8.9%) and management (8.1%) occupation groups.
19
5.5%
11.3%
21.0%
12.1%
16.4%
33.7%
4.0%
7.1%
14.2%
9.1%
14.4%
51.2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Never worked
Less than 1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months to 1 year
1 year or more
Unemployed Non-Employed
Figure 13 Time Potential Job Seekers Spent Non-Employed
As seen in Figure 13, a greater portion of non-employed potential job seekers had been so for one year or more at the time of this survey (51.2%) compared to unemployed potential job seekers (33.7%). Non-employed includes those who selected retired, homemaker, or unemployed; unemployed is a subset of the non-employed. Respondents self-reported whether they were unemployed and no additional definitions were provided. The unemployment rate figures produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics remain as the official unemployment data. Nearly half of unemployed potential job seekers had not worked for a year or more in O’Neill (48.4%) and North Platte (48.2%), and 17.7% of unemployed potential job seekers in the Lincoln survey area said they had never worked.
78.3%
76.0%
74.6%
72.8%
70.5%
64.1%
64.0%
40.2%
6.6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Paid vacation
Health insurance
Paid holidays
Retirement
Dental insurance
Paid sick leave
Vision insurance
Tuition reimbursement
Other
Employed potential job seekers indicated whether their primary employer offered any of the benefits listed in Figure 14. Primary employers offered a majority of employed potential job seekers paid vacation, health insurance, paid holidays, retirement, dental insurance, paid sick leave, and vision insurance. More than 6% of employed potential job seekers reported they received a benefit not listed in the question. The other specified benefits included a 401K match, a company vehicle or phone, flexible work hours, bonuses and stock options, among others.
Figure 14 Benefits Offered to Employed Seekers
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study20
1.0%
2.7%
5.9%
12.2%
16.8%
15.6%
13.6%
7.6%
6.9%
6.3%
11.5%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
<$10K
$10-19.9K
$20-29.9K
$30-39.9K
$40-49.9K
$50-59.9K
$60-69.9K
$70-79.9K
$80-89.9K
$90-99.9K
$100K+
8.4%
33.5%
29.4%
13.3%
7.0%
3.7%
4.8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
<$9-$9.99
$10-14.99
$15-19.99
$20-24.99
$25-29.99
$30-34.99
$35.00+
Respondents were asked about their current and past pay rates and were given the option to report an hourly wage, an annual salary, or both. Annual salaries and hourly wages were calculated separately. Pay was not converted from wages to salaries or vice versa, and if a respondent reported both an annual salary and an hourly wage, they were included in both analyses. As seen in Figure 15.1, the greatest percentage of employed potential job seekers, who reported current pay figures in annual salary, reported earning between $40,000 and $49,999 a year (16.8%). When pooled, 58.2% of potential job seekers earned $30,000 to $69,999 annually.
Figure 15.1 Current Annual Salary of Employed Seekers
Displayed in Figure 15.2, the greatest percentage of employed potential job seekers earning hourly wages earned $10 to $14.99 per hour (33.5%), and nearly 29% of potential job seekers employed in hourly positions earned over $20 per hour. The minimum wage in Nebraska was $9 per hour at the time of the surveys. Some respondents who earned less than $9 per hour were tipped employees who did not include tips in their average hourly wage.
Figure 15.2 Current Hourly Wage of Employed Seekers
21
14.6%
22.3%
20.0%
18.4%
10.7%
7.0%
2.8%
2.2%
2.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
<1
1-2
3-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31+
Year
s at
Cur
rent
Job
Figure 16 Job Tenure of Employed Seekers
6.2%
18.0%
18.9%
16.2%
15.1%
6.7%
7.9%
1.5%
2.1%
2.6%
4.8%
0.1%
0.6%
3.3%
8.3%
15.6%
5.3%
35.9%
2.3%
5.0%
10.5%
13.1%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Less than 5
5 to 9
10 to 14
15 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 29
30 to 34
35 to 39
40 to 44
45 to 49
50 or more
Com
mut
e Ti
me
(min
utes
)
Current Maximum
Figure 17 Current and Maximum Commute Time
As seen in Figure 16, 75.3% of employed potential job seekers reported being at their current job for 10 years or less. Of this majority, 22.3% had been at their current job for one to two years.
Employed potential job seekers stated their current one-way commute, in minutes (blue bars), and all potential job seekers reported the maximum one-way commute time they would accept (green bars) (Figure 17). The large differences among separate areas in the amount of time required to travel a certain distance should be considered (e.g., traffic). Potential job seekers, as a whole, appear to be willing to accept a longer commute than the current commute time of most employed potential job seekers. The greatest percentage of employed potential job seekers commuted 10 to 14 minutes one-way to their primary employer (18.9%). Over 69% of all potential job seekers would accept a one-way commute of up to 34 minutes. Furthermore, 81.1% of employed potential job seekers traveled less than 30 minutes one-way to their primary employer, but 66.7% of all potential job seekers said they would accept a one-way commute of 30 minutes or more. Over 51% of Omaha area potential job seekers currently commute 20 minutes or more one-way to their primary employer and 64.6% would accept a maximum commute time of 30 minutes or more.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study22
90.0%
79.5%
53.0%
26.6%
9.5%
3.4%
2.5%
5.0%
1.5%
8.3%
15.9%
34.6%
43.3%
37.7%
20.1%
23.7%
12.3%
7.9%
1.7%
4.3%
11.5%
25.7%
42.7%
51.2%
46.0%
50.3%
30.7%
0.1%
0.8%
3.4%
9.0%
21.1%
25.6%
31.6%
41.6%
0.3%
0.1%
0.9%
1.1%
4.1%
2.1%
0.8%
18.3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Less than 5
5 to 9
10 to 14
15 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 29
30 to 34
35 to 39
40 or more
Very satisfied Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied
Com
mut
e Ti
me
(min
utes
)
As displayed in Figure 18, employed potential job seekers’ satisfaction with their commute time appears to decrease as commute time increases. Over 26% of employed potential job seekers were satisfied or very satisfied with a one-way commute time of 30 to 34 minutes, but only 17.3% were satisfied or very satisfied with a 35 to 39 minute commute. No more than 5% of respondents were very dissatisfied with their less-than-40-minute commute, but 18.3% of employed potential job seekers who commuted 40 minutes or more were very dissatisfied. Based on the results displayed in Figures 17 and 18, all potential job seekers appeared to be willing to accept a longer commute than the current commute times of employed potential job seekers (Figure 17). However, employed potential job seekers who did commute 25 minutes or more reported greater dissatisfaction than those who commuted less than 25 minutes (Figure 18).
Figure 18 Satisfaction with Current Commute Time
23
3.2%
6.0%
9.5%
23.0%
25.6%
22.9%
5.9%
4.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Less than 20
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
Figure 19 Multiple Job Holding Potential Job Seekers’ Hours Worked
96.8%
62.4%
38.3%
26.9%
13.0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Additional Income
Personal fulfillment
Benefits (insurance, retirement, etc.)
Underemployment
Other
Potential job seekers who held multiple jobs were asked to indicate the reasons they worked multiple jobs from a list of options. As displayed in Figure 20, nearly all multiple jobholders indicated additional income (96.8%) as a reason for holding multiple jobs. Many potential job seekers also indicated that personal fulfillment (62.4%) and benefits (38.3%) were reasons why they held multiple jobs. Underemployment was reported by 26.9% of employed potential job seekers as a reason they worked multiple jobs. Other reasons for holding multiple jobs those potential job seekers reported included entrepreneurship, military service, seasonal employment, and caregiving, among others. Comparing the Lincoln and Valentine survey areas, 36.9% of multiple job holding potential job seekers in Lincoln indicated that they held multiple jobs because of benefits, and 49.8% of Valentine potential job seekers held multiple jobs because of benefits.
Figure 20 Potential Job Seekers’ Reasons for Holding Multiple Jobs
Multiple Job HoldersBased on responses to the survey, 19% of employed potential job seekers statewide held multiple jobs. Potential job seekers who held multiple jobs were most likely working two jobs (74.2%), but 17.2% worked three jobs and 8.6% were employees at four or more jobs. Figure 19 displays the total number of hours worked at all jobs for potential job seekers who held multiple jobs. The greatest percentage of potential job seekers worked 50 to 59 hours per week at all jobs (25.6%), but nearly 10% worked 70 or more hours per week at all jobs. Among the surveyed areas, potential job seekers who held multiple jobs in the O’Neill area were most likely to indicate they worked 80 or more hours per week at all jobs (10.2%).
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study24
2.7%
24.4%
35.0%
16.0%
9.5%
6.2%
6.2%
0.8%
13.8%
25.8%
21.2%
14.7%
8.3%
15.4%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
<$9-$9.99
$10-14.99
$15-19.99
$20-24.99
$25-29.99
$30-34.99
$35.00+
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Figure 21.2 Minimum Hourly Wage Required
Potential job seekers would generally require less pay to improve their employment situation than those who were non-seekers. The median required minimum annual salary for potential job seekers to improve their employment situation was $55,000 per year and was $70,000 per year for non-seekers.
The median required minimum hourly wage for potential job seekers to improve their employment situation was $16 per hour compared to $20 per hour for non-seekers. Almost 49% of potential job seekers and 29.6% of non-seekers who gave a minimum salary requirement would accept a new job for less than $60,000 per year. More than 62% of potential job seekers and over 40% of non-seekers who gave an hourly wage requirement would take a job for less than $20 per hour.
0.1%
0.7%
2.8%
9.7%
17.3%
18.2%
15.6%
10.7%
6.4%
4.3%
14.2%
0.1%
0.4%
1.2%
5.0%
9.4%
13.5%
14.4%
11.8%
8.0%
4.2%
31.9%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
<$10K
$10-19.9K
$20-29.9K
$30-39.9K
$40-49.9K
$50-59.9K
$60-69.9K
$70-79.9K
$80-89.9K
$90-99.9K
$100K+
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Future Employment of Potential Job SeekersSurvey respondents answered the question, “If a job were available that met your most important criteria, what is the minimum pay you would require to improve your employment situation?” As seen in Figures 21.1 and 21.2, potential job seekers and non-seekers had different requirements. Respondents gave either a minimum annual salary or minimum hourly wage. Included in the analysis are respondents who provided data regarding their desired wage regardless of their current employment situation.
Figure 21.1 Minimum Annual Salary Required
25
22.9%
15.5%
27.8%
20.7%
7.9%
2.2%
1.0%
0.6%
1.3%
15.3%
13.9%
23.1%
19.9%
10.5%
4.8%
3.2%
3.3%
6.1%
0% 10% 20% 30%
Less than Current Pay
Same as Current Pay
+$1-9,999
+$10,000-19,999
+$20,000-29,999
+$30,000-39,999
+$40,000-49,999
+$50,000-59,999
+$60K or More
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Displayed in Figures 22.1 and 22.2 is the difference between potential job seekers’ current pay and their minimum pay required to improve their employment situation. Only responses that listed both current pay and minimum pay required to change jobs were included in the analysis. Differences were greater for those who are salaried compared to those in hourly positions.
More than 38% of potential job seekers stated that they would accept either an annual salary decrease or no increase in salary to improve their employment situation (e.g., shorter commute, flexible hours, better benefits, etc.), and 29.2% of non-potential job seekers would accept a pay decrease or no increase to change jobs. A greater percentage of salaried non-potential job seekers reported they would require a $20,000 or more raise (27.9%) to change jobs compared to potential job seekers (13%).
Figure 22.1 Minimum Annual Salary Required Compared to Current Pay
18.8%
13.1%
7.5%
15.2%
12.4%
8.8%
6.4%
17.8%
18.3%
14.9%
8.0%
12.3%
10.1%
8.6%
6.0%
21.7%
0% 10% 20% 30%
Less than Current Pay
Same as Current Pay
+$0.01-0.99
+$1-1.99
+$2-2.99
+$3-3.99
+$4-4.99
+$5 or More
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
As seen in Figure 22.2, the difference between potential job seekers and non-seekers was smallest when examining those who would require a $3 to $3.99 or more per hour raise to change jobs (8.8% and 8.6%, respectively). A greater percentage of hourly non-seekers would require a $5 or more raise to change jobs (21.7%) compared to potential job seekers (17.8%).
Figure 22.2 Minimum Hourly Wage Required Compared to Current Pay
Nebraska Department of Labor
Best estimates for current pay come from the Nebraska Department of Labor Occupational Employment Survey. Check out the data here: https://neworks.nebraska.gov/OESwages
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study26
6.2%
6.8%
9.9%
15.5%
17.1%
17.6%
10.3%
5.4%
2.9%
2.0%
1.3%
5.0%
5.4%
3.6%
6.2%
13.9%
15.0%
17.7%
13.6%
6.2%
2.9%
3.8%
2.6%
9.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
-20.0% or less
-19.9 to -10.0%
-9.9 to -0.01%
0%
0.01-9.9%
10.0-19.9%
20.0-29.9%
30.0-39.9%
40.0-49.9%
50.0-59.9%
60.0-69.9%
70.0% or more
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Figure 23.1 and Figure 23.2 display the pay that respondents reported they would require to improve their employment situation as a percent of their current income for both employed potential job seekers and employed non-seekers.
As seen in Figure 23.1, non-seekers tended to require an annual salary that would amount to a greater percentage of their current salary than would potential job seekers. According to survey results, 26.9% of potential job seekers would require a 20% or greater raise in order to improve their employment situation compared to 38.1% of non-seekers. Nearly 17% of potential job seekers reported that they would require pay that amounts to a 0.01% to 19.9% decrease from their current pay, while 9.9% of non-seekers would require pay that amounts to a decrease in the same range.
Figure 23.1 Minimum Annual Salary Increase Required in Percent of Current Pay
3.2%
5.6%
9.9%
13.1%
19.2%
15.7%
13.2%
6.3%
3.5%
3.4%
1.8%
5.0%
3.4%
4.7%
10.1%
14.9%
19.8%
18.2%
11.5%
8.3%
3.5%
2.1%
1.1%
2.3%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
-20.0% or less
-19.9 to -10.0%
-9.9 to -0.01%
0%
0.01-9.9%
10.0-19.9%
20.0-29.9%
30.0-39.9%
40.0-49.9%
50.0-59.9%
60.0-69.9%
70.0% or more
Potential Job Seekers Non-Potential Job Seekers
Results displayed in Figure 23.2 come from respondents who answered questions about their current hourly wages and minimum hourly pay required to change jobs. The greatest difference between potential job seekers and non-seekers in the percent difference of required pay as a percent of their current income was in the 70% or more increase group (2.7%). A greater percentage of potential job seekers who earned an hourly wage would require a raise (68.1%), in terms of the percent of their current pay, compared to potential job seekers who earned annual salaries (61.6%).
Figure 23. 2 Minimum Hourly Wage Increase Required in Percent of Current Pay
27
1.0%
2.7%
5.9%
12.2%
16.8%
15.6%
13.6%
7.6%
6.9%
6.3%
11.5%
0.1%
0.7%
2.8%
9.7%
17.3%
18.2%
15.6%
10.7%
6.4%
4.3%
14.2%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
<$10K
$10-19.9K
$20-29.9K
$30-39.9K
$40-49.9K
$50-59.9K
$60-69.9K
$70-79.9K
$80-89.9K
$90-99.9K
$100K+
Current Salary Minimum Salary Required to Change Jobs
8.4%
33.5%
29.4%
13.3%
7.0%
3.7%
4.8%
2.7%
24.4%
35.0%
16.0%
9.5%
6.2%
6.2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
<$9-$9.99
$10-14.99
$15-19.99
$20-24.99
$25-29.99
$30-34.99
$35.00+
Current Hourly Wage Minimum Hourly Wage Required to Change Jobs
Figure 24.1 and Figure 24.2 display the comparison between potential job seekers’ current pay and their minimum pay required to improve their employment situation. Only employed potential job seekers who reported both their current wages and minimum pay required to improve their employment situation are included in the analysis.
As displayed in Figure 24.1, the greatest difference between current salary and minimum salary required by potential job seekers was observed for those who earn or desire $20,000 to $29,000 and $70,000 to $79,999 annually (3.2%). The greatest percentage of potential job seekers reported that they currently earn $40,000 to $49,999 (16.8%) and the greatest percentage require between $50,000 and $59,999 annually (18.2%). More than 9% of potential job seekers earned less than $30,000 per year, but only 3.6% of potential job seekers reported their minimum salary required to change jobs was less than
$30,000 annually. Over 32% of potential job seekers earned over $70,000 annually, and 35.6% of potential job seekers reported they would require a minimum salary of $70,000 or more to improve their employment situation.
Among separate survey areas, potential job seekers in the Sidney survey area were most likely to indicate that they earned $100,000 or more annually (23.2%), followed by potential job seekers in the Lincoln (15.4%) and Omaha areas (15.1%). Potential job seekers in Omaha were most likely to require $100,000 or more in annual salary (18.4%), followed by those in Sidney (16.5%) and Nebraska City (13.6%).
Based on responses to the question regarding pay required to consider changing jobs, most hourly employees would also require a raise from their current pay. Nearly 42% of hourly employees earned less than $15 per hour but 72.9% of hourly workers would require $15 or more to improve their employment situation (see Figure 24.2).
Comparing the Lincoln and Omaha survey areas, potential job seekers in the Omaha area were more likely to indicate that they earned $35 or more per hour (8.1%) than those in the Lincoln area (4.8%). Potential job seekers in Omaha were also more likely to require $35 or more per hour (8.7%) compared to those in the Lincoln survey area (5.3%).
Figure 24.1 Minimum Required to Change Jobs Current and Minimum Annual Salary of Seekers
Figure 24.2 Minimum Required to Change Jobs Current and Minimum Hourly Wage of Seekers
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study28
0.4%
0.6%
3.5%
10.8%
66.2%
18.5%
1.1%
1.6%
4.4%
14.1%
63.7%
15.2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40
41+
Single Job Multiple Jobs
Figure 25 Hours per Week Desired by Number of Jobs WorkedThe majority of employed potential job seekers wanted to work 40 hours a week at their primary employer, regardless of whether they were currently working a single job or multiple jobs (see Figure 25). Of those who provided both an employment status and a number of work hours per week desired, 77% of those who held a single job and 77.8% of those who held multiple jobs wanted to work between 30 and 40 hours per week at their primary employer. More than 80% of single job holding potential job seekers in Omaha (80.6%) and Lincoln (80.3%) desired to work between 30 and 40 hours per week at their primary employer, which were the greatest percentages of all separate survey areas.
0.3%
0.7%
0.7%
0.5%
0.7%
1.5%
3.5%
0.9%
1.0%
0.8%
2.2%
7.3%
8.5%
2.8%
4.6%
4.3%
10.6%
41.3%
14.9%
12.2%
11.2%
9.7%
14.0%
20.5%
62.4%
68.0%
62.4%
65.5%
58.9%
25.5%
10.4%
15.4%
20.1%
19.2%
13.6%
3.8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
24 & Under
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40 41+
Figure 26 Hours of Work per Week Desired by Age Group
As displayed in Figure 26, most potential job seekers under age 65 wanted to work 40 or more hours per week at their primary employer. Potential job seekers ages 65+ wanted to work fewer hours per week in general compared to younger age groups. Based on the results displayed in Figure 26, more than 15% of potential job seekers in each age group between 25 and 54 reported they desired to work 41 hours or more per week.
Age
Gro
up
Hours per Week:
29
58.6%
50.2%
48.5%
47.4%
45.6%
42.3%
39.8%
38.7%
38.6%
36.3%
34.6%
29.8%
26.2%
25.4%
25.3%
20.0%
8.3%
8.0%
7.7%
3.5%
31.2%
29.0%
32.4%
40.4%
35.8%
36.2%
47.9%
39.9%
37.0%
33.2%
43.7%
30.3%
35.0%
45.8%
55.6%
45.8%
17.1%
10.5%
15.1%
6.0%
9.2%
12.8%
13.6%
10.6%
14.0%
16.1%
10.3%
15.7%
18.5%
20.4%
16.8%
26.1%
23.8%
22.6%
16.3%
30.2%
33.6%
16.4%
29.4%
15.3%
1.0%
8.1%
5.4%
1.6%
4.5%
5.3%
2.0%
5.8%
5.9%
10.0%
4.9%
13.8%
15.0%
6.2%
2.8%
4.0%
41.1%
65.0%
47.8%
75.2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Salary
Health insurance
Retirement benefits
Work schedule that fits needs
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Use existing skills
Opportunity for advancement
Paid sick leave
Dental insurance
Company values
Vision insurance
Use education/training/degree
Learn new skills
Level of responsibilities
Commute time
Tuition reimbursement
Accessible childcare
Work from home/telecommuting
Near public transportation
Very important Important Somewhat important Not at all important
Figure 27 Important Factors of Potential Job Seekers
Potential job seekers rated the importance of 20 factors that are often considered when choosing a job. The rating scale given to respondents, as seen in Figure 27, ranged from not at all important to very important.
Almost 90% of potential job seekers rated salary as very important or important. Salary was one of two factors that over half of respondents listed as very important. The top five most important factors to potential seekers based on combined ratings of important and very important were salary (89.8%), work schedule (87.8%), use existing skills (87.7%), paid vacation (81.4%), and retirement benefits (80.9%).
The factors most often rated as not at all important or somewhat important by potential job seekers were being near public transportation (90.5%), accessible childcare (81.5%), and work from home/telecommuting (77.2%).
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study30
26.4%
24.6%
24.1%
18.3%
12.5%
11.8%
11.3%
10.6%
9.6%
9.1%
9.0%
6.0%
5.0%
2.2%
1.4%
0.0%
2.6%
4.1%
7.6%
14.6%
30% 20% 10% 0% 10% 20% 30%
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Retirement benefits
Work from home/telecommuting
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Paid sick leave
Salary
Company values align with own
Opportunity for advancement
Level of responsibilities
Learn new skills
Use skills you have
Use education/training/degree
Vision insurance
Commute time
Work schedule that fits my needs
Tuition reimbursement
Accessible childcare
Near public transportation
More important to lower salaried seekers More important to higher salaried seekers
Figure 28.1 Difference in Important Factors by Annual Salary
Figures 28.1, 28.2, and 29 display the difference between groups of respondents who ranked each important factor very important or important. Figure 28.1 and 28.2 display this difference among income groups. For the purposes of this analysis, salaried employees who earned $25,000 or less a year were considered lower-income and higher-income potential job seekers were those who earned $75,000 or more a year. In the high salary group, 88.2% responded that health insurance was important or very important compared to 76.4% of those in the low salary group.
Salaried employees, seen in Figure 28.1, were more likely to value paid vacation and paid holidays if they were in the higher-income group compared to the factors ‘accessible childcare’ and ‘near public transportation’ for lower-income employees.
31
30.4%
20.2%
19.0%
13.5%
13.4%
12.6%
10.0%
9.6%
8.3%
8.1%
7.0%
6.3%
3.4%
2.4%
1.8%
1.2%
1.6%
3.3%
9.4%
11.6%
5% 15% 25% 35%
Use education/training/degree
Work from home/telecommuting
Retirement benefits
Level of responsibilities
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Use skills you have
Paid sick leave
Dental insurance
Company values align with own
Salary
Health insurance
Accessible childcare
Work schedule that fits my needs
Learn new skills
Commute time
Vision insurance
Opportunity for advancement
Tuition reimbursement
Near public transportation
More important to lower hourly wage seekers
35% 25% 15% 5%
More important to higher hourly wage seekers
For the purposes of this analysis, hourly employees who earned $12 or less an hour were considered lower-income, and higher-income potential job seekers were those who earned $36 or more an hour. As displayed in Figure 28.2, use education/training/degree, work from home/telecommuting, and retirement benefits, among other factors, were more important to potential seekers making at least $36 an hour than to those making $12 or less hourly. Being near public transportation, tuition reimbursement, and opportunity for advancement, among other factors, were more important to those making $12 and under compared to the higher-income group.
Figure 28.2 Difference in Important Factors by Hourly Wage
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study32
28.0%
27.3%
25.1%
23.0%
21.8%
21.5%
19.2%
16.9%
16.0%
15.8%
13.5%
12.6%
7.0%
5.5%
1.9%
1.6%
1.5%
3.2%
5.6%
8.8%
30% 20% 10% 0% 10% 20% 30%
Paid vacation
Retirement benefits
Health insurance
Opportunity for advancement
Paid holidays
Dental insurance
Paid sick leave
Salary
Vision insurance
Level of responsibilities
Learn new skills
Use education/training/degree
Use skills you have
Company values align with own
Accessible childcare
Work schedule that fits my needs
Tuition reimbursement
Near public transportation
Work from home/telecommuting
Commute time
More important to non-employed More important to employed
Shown in Figure 29 is the difference in important factors for employed and non-employed potential job seekers when considering a job. For example, 85.2% of employed potential job seekers rated the factor ‘paid vacation’ as important or very important, and 57.2% of non-employed potential job seekers rated paid vacation as important or very important (28% difference). Commute time was important to 8.8% more non-employed potential job seekers than employed potential job seekers. Work from home/telecommuting (5.6%) and being near public transportation (3.2%) - factors related to the ability to get to work - were also more important to non-employed potential job seekers.
Figure 29 Difference in Important Factors by Employment Status
33
73.8%
67.7%
63.0%
61.2%
59.0%
3.0%
84.8%
74.8%
75.7%
71.1%
64.9%
4.1%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Cost of training
Available time for training
Knowledge of available trainings
Desired training is unavailable
Distance/Transportation to training
Other
Potential Job Seekers
Potential Job Seekers Reporting an Education or Training Obstacle
Figure 31 displays the percent of potential job seekers who indicated there was some kind of barrier to obtaining training in the next year (yellow bars) and potential job seekers who reported that a lack of training or a lack of education was an obstacle to changing jobs or reentering the workforce (blue bars). Respondents were able to choose from any of the barriers or specify a barrier not listed. Compared to potential job seekers as a whole, greater percentages of seekers that reported education or training as an obstacle said that each item listed below was a barrier to obtaining training. Other barriers to obtaining training potential job seekers specified included childcare, health, and motivation, among others.
Figure 31 Barriers to Obtaining Training
93.6%
90.9%
88.5%
55.9%
0% 50% 100%
Attend employer-sponsored training
Attend work related seminars orconferences
Take a class to learn a new skill
Go to school to complete a certificateor degree
The results displayed in Figure 30 indicate that 93.6% of potential job seekers were willing to attend employer-sponsored training, and 55.9% of potential job seekers were willing to go to school to complete a certificate or degree in the next year.
Figure 30 Willingness to Obtain Training in the Next Year
Nebraska Department of Labor
For more details about the project, contact information, and a link to the 50+ previously released Labor Availability Study reports, please visit:
dol.nebraska.gov/las
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study34
Survey respondents reported any obstacles that may prevent them from changing their job or reentering the workforce in the next year. As seen in Figure 32, the most commonly cited obstacles to employment (lack of job opportunities in the area; inadequate pay, benefits and hours offered at area employers) were job market-related issues rather than the workforce-related issues such as having a lack of experience or training. Comparing each area, potential job seekers in the Sidney survey area were most likely to respond that a lack of job opportunities was an obstacle (82.8%).
Respondents in the North Platte survey area were more likely than other areas to report a lack of training (37.7%) and a lack of education (30.1%) as obstacles that prevent them from changing jobs. Potential job seekers in the O’Neill survey area were more likely to report family commitments (36.5%) as an obstacle, compared to other survey areas.
Respondents were able to write in other obstacles they face when changing jobs. Some examples included age, motivation, and relocation costs, among others.
66.5%
65.7%
56.0%
47.1%
30.8%
28.7%
26.9%
26.6%
16.4%
13.1%
12.0%
11.8%
11.7%
10.8%
8.4%
5.8%
4.0%
2.0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Inadequate pay offered at area employers
Lack of job opportunities in the area
Inadequate benefits at area employers
Inadequate hours offered at area employers
Lack of training
Family commitments
Overqualified
Lack of education
Transportation
Language barriers
Poor credit
No job experience
Lack of childcare
Contractual commitments
Employment history
Disability
Criminal record
Other
Figure 32 Obstacles to Employment for Potential Job Seekers
35
39.7%
33.1%
19.8%
18.6%
14.0%
11.3%
10.1%
9.1%
8.3%
7.4%
5.5%
4.6%
4.5%
3.1%
2.3%
2.1%
2.1%
1.7%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Sales
Advanced computer
Leadership
Creativity
Customer service
Basic math
Critical thinking
Written communication
Basic computer
Ability to work as a team
Ability to adapt to change
Ability to problem solve
Willingness to learn
Ability to work independently
Ability to pay attention to detail
Verbal communication
Positive attitude
Work ethic
Figure 33 Unused Skills of Overqualified Employed Potential Job Seekers
Respondents provided their level of skill and reported whether they were using particular skills in their current position. Figure 33 displays the results for employed potential job seekers who reported that being overqualified was an obstacle preventing them from changing jobs. Included in the analysis are only those who reported being either intermediate or advanced in the listed skill.
Nearly 40% of employed and overqualified potential job seekers who reported being either intermediate or advanced in sales were not using this skill in their current position. It is unknown whether these potential job seekers are in a position where these skills are part of their job description, but this figure reveals that there may be potential job seekers who are not using all of their skills in their current position. More potential job seekers in the Nebraska City survey area were not using their sales skills in their current position (62%) than seekers in other areas.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study36
80.7% 15.6%
2.3%
1.5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Employed Unemployed Homemaker Retired
Figure 34 Employment Status of Active Job Seekers
Results - Active Job SeekersGeneral Characteristics of Active Job SeekersActive job seekers are a subset of potential job seekers who answered ‘yes’ to the question “Are you actively seeking a new job?” Non-active seekers are potential job seekers who may change jobs or reenter the workforce within the next year, but were not actively seeking a job. In the Nebraska statewide survey area, 31.1% of potential job seekers were actively seeking a new job. This represents an estimated 141,277 individuals, age 18 years and over, who were actively seeking a new job at the time the surveys were conducted.
According to survey results, most people actively searching for work already had employment, but 19.4% of active job seekers were non-employed (see Figure 34).
Similar to potential job seekers, over 97% of active job seekers were high school graduates (see Figure 36). Furthermore, 17.2% of active job seekers responded that they held a technical or vocational degree and 26.1% held an associate or 2-year degree. More than 50% of active job seekers affirmed they held a bachelor’s or 4-year degree and 21.5% responded they held a graduate or professional degree.
Some respondents held multiple degrees at the time of the survey.
A portion of active job seekers reported they are currently attending a school or college (11.1%), and 15.9% of active job seekers are planning to attend a trade/vocational school, community college, or 4-year college.
97.4%
17.2%
26.1%
50.4%
21.5%
0% 50% 100%
High schoolgraduate or
GEDTechnical orvocational
degree
Associate or 2-year degree
Bachelor's or 4-year degree
Graduate orprofessional
degree
Figure 36 Educational Attainment of Active Job Seekers
Greater than 51% of non-employed active job seekers had been non-employed for seven months or longer (see Figure 35). More than 36% of individuals actively looking for work had been non-employed for three months or less or had never worked.
Figure 35 Time Active Job Seekers Spent Non-Employed
4.0%
11.0%
21.2%
12.1%
14.9%
36.8%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Never worked
Less than 1 month
1-3 months
4-6 months
7 months to 1 year
More than 1 year
37
77.0%
74.4%
74.4%
65.7%
65.4%
62.6%
61.6%
56.4%
51.5%
51.4%
50.4%
46.5%
46.5%
44.9%
42.3%
42.2%
15.9%
13.8%
19.7%
21.3%
20.7%
26.7%
28.5%
32.0%
31.4%
35.9%
30.3%
34.1%
28.9%
40.2%
34.0%
28.8%
38.8%
39.3%
27.2%
15.6%
3.2%
4.2%
4.8%
7.1%
5.7%
5.1%
5.9%
7.1%
13.5%
12.1%
20.1%
12.7%
17.2%
21.1%
16.2%
17.5%
36.5%
33.1%
0.1%
0.2%
0.2%
0.5%
0.4%
0.4%
1.1%
0.6%
4.7%
2.4%
0.5%
0.5%
2.3%
5.3%
2.6%
1.0%
20.5%
37.5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Work ethic
Ability to work independently
Willingness to learn
Ability to problem solve
Ability to pay attention to detail
Ability to work as a team
Positive attitude
Ability to adapt to change
Customer service
Critical thinking
Basic math
Verbal communication
Written communication
Basic computer
Leadership
Creativity
Sales
Advanced computer
Advanced Intermediate Basic None
Figure 37 Reported Skills of Active Job Seekers
Active job seekers were asked to rate themselves on the skills listed in Figure 37. Respondents rated their skill level as basic, intermediate, advanced or ‘none’. Only active job seekers who reported a skill level were included in this analysis. The top six skills most often rated as advanced, including work ethic and ability to work independently, were skills that less than 1% of active job seekers rated as ‘none’ (or having no skill). Over 81% of those currently seeking work rated themselves as advanced or intermediate in all of the listed skills except sales skills (43.1%) and advanced computer skills (29.4%). Sales and advanced computer skills (e.g., programming, website design, etc.) are likely not job requirements for many workers compared to skills such as attitude and willingness to learn.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study38
Considering what is important when choosing a new job, respondents rated each item listed in Figure 38 as not at all important to very important. When choosing a new job, 90% of active seekers in the statewide survey area rated salary as important or very important. More than 88% of active job seekers responded that being able to use existing skills was important or very important when considering a new position. At least 62% of active seekers rated all factors as very important or important except for tuition reimbursement (28.6%), working from home (25.9%), accessible childcare (17.9%), and being near public transportation (12.9%).
Active job seekers in each survey area most often reported that salary was very important except for respondents in the Valentine survey area. Health insurance (67.5%), opportunity for advancement (62.2%), and salary (60.6%) were the factors most often rated as very important in the Valentine survey area.
61.7%
52.2%
47.9%
47.3%
46.5%
45.7%
43.1%
43.0%
39.5%
38.9%
37.5%
31.9%
30.7%
29.4%
28.5%
23.2%
11.1%
9.6%
7.6%
5.7%
28.3%
27.9%
32.8%
39.2%
35.8%
36.1%
36.2%
45.0%
38.4%
38.8%
33.0%
30.5%
32.9%
46.2%
52.7%
43.2%
17.5%
16.2%
10.3%
7.1%
9.3%
12.4%
14.8%
11.9%
13.3%
14.1%
15.2%
10.1%
16.4%
17.4%
20.1%
25.7%
23.4%
18.9%
16.4%
28.9%
35.4%
29.9%
16.2%
17.9%
0.7%
7.4%
4.4%
1.6%
4.4%
4.2%
5.4%
1.9%
5.7%
4.9%
9.4%
11.9%
13.0%
5.5%
2.4%
4.7%
36.0%
44.3%
66.0%
69.3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Salary
Health insurance
Retirement benefits
Work schedule that fits needs
Opportunity for advancement
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Use existing skills
Paid sick leave
Company values
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Use education/training/degree
Learn new skills
Level of responsibilities
Commute time
Tuition reimbursement
Work from home/telecommuting
Accessible child care
Near public transportation
Very important Important Somewhat important Not at all important
Figure 38 Important Factors When Choosing New Employment
Future Employment of Active Job Seekers
39
27.7%
17.4%
24.9%
16.9%
8.1%
1.9%
1.6%
0.3%
1.3%
22.9%
15.5%
27.8%
20.7%
7.9%
2.2%
1.0%
0.6%
1.3%
0% 10% 20% 30%
Less than Current Pay
Same as Current Pay
+$1-9,999
+$10,000-19,999
+$20,000-29,999
+$30,000-39,999
+$40,000-49,999
+$50,000-59,999
+$60K or More
Active Job Seekers Potential Job Seekers
Figure 39.1 Minimum Annual Salary Required to Change Jobs Compared to Current Pay
16.3%
9.2%
7.8%
15.9%
12.2%
10.4%
6.2%
22.1%
18.8%
13.1%
7.5%
15.2%
12.4%
8.8%
6.4%
17.8%
0% 10% 20% 30%
Less than Current Pay
Same as Current Pay
+$0.01-0.99
+$1-1.99
+$2-2.99
+$3-3.99
+$4-4.99
+$5 or More
Active Job Seekers Potential Job Seekers
decrease or no raise in salary to change jobs (23.3%). Figure 39.2 displays active and potential job seekers who reported current and required pay in hourly wages. Active seekers were less likely to require pay that amounts to a decrease or no raise hourly wages (25.4%) compared potential job seekers (31.9%). A greater percentage of active job seekers (38.7%) would require a $3 or more an hour raise to change jobs or reenter the workforce compared to potential job seekers (33.1%). When comparing separate survey areas, Sidney area active job seekers were again most likely to require pay that amounts to a decrease from current pay, or no raise in hourly wages, to change jobs (69.4%). Hourly wage earning active job seekers in North Platte were least likely to accept a wage decrease or no raise in wages to change jobs (17.5%).
Figure 39.2 Minimum Hourly Wage Required to Change Jobs Compared to Current Pay
Displayed in Figure 39.1 and 39.2 is the difference between active job seekers’ current pay and their minimum pay required to improve their employment situation. Only employed respondents who listed both their current and minimum pay required to change jobs were included in each of the analyses.
Figure 39.1 illustrates the responses of active job seekers and potential job seekers who provided current and required annual salaries. Active job seekers were more likely to require no pay increase or require a salary that amounts to a pay decrease (45%) compared to potential job seekers (38.4%). Almost 25% of active job seekers would require a $1 to $9,999 raise to improve their employment situation compared to 27.8% of potential job seekers. In the Sidney survey area, active job seekers were most likely to accept a salary decrease or no raise in salary at all to change jobs (73.1%), and Valentine area active job seekers were least likely to require pay that amounted to a salary
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study40
94.4%
91.4%
89.9%
60.5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Attend employer-sponsored training
Attend work related seminars orconferences
Take a class to learn a new skill
Go to school to complete a certificateor degree
Figure 40 Willingness to Obtain Training
Active job seekers reported whether they would be willing to obtain different types of training in the next year to improve their employment situation. Figure 40 displays the results that 94.4% of active job seekers were willing to attend employer-sponsored training, 91.4% were willing to attend work related seminars or conferences, 89.9% were willing to take a class to learn a new skill, and 60.5% of active job seekers were willing to go to school to obtain a certificate or degree. Nearly all active job seekers in Columbus and Norfolk (99.5%) were willing to attend employer-sponsored training and 66.6% of O’Neill area active job seekers were willing to go to school to complete a certificate or degree.
74.9%
63.9%
63.0%
60.6%
56.9%
83.8%
73.3%
74.9%
67.6%
62.5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Cost of training
Desired training is unavailable
Knowledge of available trainings
Available time for training
Distance/Transportation to training
Active Job Seekers
Active Job Seekers Reporting an Education or Training Obstacle
Figure 41 Barriers to Obtaining Training
Active job seekers and active job seekers who reported that a lack of training or a lack of education was an obstacle to changing jobs or reentering the workforce are both represented in Figure 41. These respondents reported any barriers to them obtaining training in the next year. Most active job seekers reported that cost was a barrier to obtaining training (74.9%). Active job seekers who reported that a lack of education or training was an obstacle to changing jobs or reentering the workforce were more likely to say that there was a barrier to obtaining training than active job seekers as a whole. Active job seekers in North Platte were most likely to respond that the cost was a barrier to obtain training (82.4%) compared to all survey areas. Lincoln active job seekers most often responded that their knowledge of available trainings was a barrier to obtaining training (73.8%) whereas seekers in Kearney (54.4%) were least likely to select knowledge of trainings as a barrier.
41
73.0%
70.3%
57.6%
49.4%
33.2%
33.0%
28.3%
23.9%
17.8%
16.5%
15.3%
13.1%
12.9%
11.0%
10.4%
7.4%
6.2%
0% 50% 100%
Lack of job opportunities in the area
Inadequate pay offered at area employers
Inadequate benefits at area employers
Inadequate hours offered at area employers
Overqualified
Lack of training
Lack of education
Family commitments
Transportation
No job experience
Poor credit
Employment history
Language barriers
Lack of childcare
Contractual commitments
Disability
Criminal record
Figure 42 Obstacles to Employment
As displayed in Figure 42, active job seekers were able to select any obstacles listed or specify another obstacle that may prevent them from changing jobs or reentering the workforce in the next year. Most active job seekers indicated that a lack of job opportunities in their area was an obstacle to them changing jobs or reentering the workforce within the next year (73%). As seen with potential job seekers as a whole, the subset of active job seekers most commonly cited obstacles to employment that were job market-related issues (e.g., pay offered, hours offered) rather than workforce-related issues, such as being overqualified or inexperienced. Active job seekers in North Plate more often responded that a lack of training (47.7%) and a lack of education (37.2%) were obstacles compared to other survey areas. Omaha area active job seekers were most likely to respond that their lack of job experience was an obstacle whereas Sidney area active job seekers were least likely to report that job experience was an obstacle to changing jobs or reentering the workforce (6%).
46.9%42.7%
24.4%23.3%
15.8%14.4%
13.0%12.9%12.4%
10.2%9.8%9.4%
8.8%5.8%
4.7%4.6%
3.6%3.2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
SalesAdvanced computer
CreativityLeadership
Customer serviceCritical thinking
Written communicationAbility to work as a team
Basic mathBasic computer
Ability to adapt to changeAbility to problem solve
Willingness to learnAbility to work independently
Ability to pay attention to detailVerbal communication
Positive attitudeWork ethic
Employed active job seekers also reported whether they were currently using each skill in their current position. Included in Figure 43 are employed active job seekers who indicated overqualification as an obstacle to employment and reported at least an intermediate level of skill. Nearly 47% of active job seekers reported not using sales skills despite their intermediate or advanced skill level. Based on these findings, some individuals currently looking for work have skills they are not using in their current position, and may be prevented or may perceive that they are prevented from changing jobs due to their overqualification. They may also be workers who used sales skills in a previous job and do not necessarily plan to use the skill in the future.
Figure 43 Unused Skills of Overqualified Employed Active Job Seekers
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study42
Conclusion
DemographicsMore than 59% of potential job seekers, defined as survey respondents who were willing to accept a new job or change jobs if it were suitable and available, were between the ages 25 and 44. More than 3% of potential job seekers identified as Black or African American (3.1%). Moreover, 5.1% of all potential job seekers in the data set identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 7.3% of potential job seekers were military veterans.
EducationNearly 50% of potential job seekers reported obtaining a bachelor’s degree (49.7%). Nearly all active job seekers reported obtaining a high school diploma/GED (97.4%) and 50.4% of active job seekers held a bachelor’s degree. A greater percentage of potential job seekers (23.9%) held a graduate or professional degree compared to those actively seeking a job (21.5%).
Employment StatusMost potential job seekers (86.3%) were currently employed. In addition, most respondents who were actively seeking work were employed (80.7%), but 15.6% of active job seekers were unemployed. Of those who were non-employed but actively seeking work, 36.8% had not worked for one year or more.
Pay and TenureThe greatest percentage of salaried potential job seekers reported earning between $40,000 and $49,999 a year (16.8%). Over 33% of potential job seekers who earned hourly wages were paid between $10 and $14.99 per hour. Most employed potential job seekers had been working for their primary employer for 10 years or less (75.3%).
SkillsMany potential job seekers rated themselves as advanced in their work ethic (77.8%), ability to work independently (74%), and willingness to learn (69.4%). A large percentage of active job seekers rated themselves as advanced in their work ethic (77%), ability to work independently (74.4%), and their willingness to learn (74.4%). Nearly 47% of employed active job seekers who reported that being overqualified was an obstacle preventing them from changing jobs and were intermediate or advanced in sales skills were not using those skills in their current position.
Many factors can affect labor availability in a regional labor market. Geography, pay and benefits, education and skill requirements, work schedules, and many other factors are considered in someone’s decision to take a job. The Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Report examined these factors.
43
ConclusionImportant FactorsWhen choosing a job, the factors most often rated as important or very important by potential job seekers were salary (89.8%), work schedule (87.8%), use existing skills (87.7%), paid vacation (81.4%), and retirement benefits (80.9%). The factors most often rated as important or very important by active job seekers were salary (90%), use existing skills (88.1%), work schedule (86.4%), opportunity for advancement (82.3%), and paid vacation (81.8%).
While not all factors were universally important, there appear to be portions of potential job seekers and active job seekers to whom certain factors were very important. Employers who address particular concerns (e.g., accessible childcare) may find applicants who were otherwise unable or unwilling to change jobs or re-enter the workforce due to other factors.
ObstaclesMore than 66% of potential job seekers responded that inadequate pay offered at area employers was an obstacle that may prevent them from changing their job or reentering the workforce in the next year. Nearly 31% of potential job seekers indicated that a lack of training was an obstacle to changing jobs or reentering the workforce. The obstacles to employment most often cited by active job seekers were a lack of job opportunities in the area (73%), inadequate pay offered at area employers (70.3%), and inadequate benefits at area employers (57.6%). As seen with potential job seekers as a whole, the subset of active job seekers most commonly cited obstacles to employment that were job market-related issues (e.g., pay offered, hours offered) rather than workforce-related issues, such as being overqualified or inexperienced.
TrainingMost active job seekers were willing to obtain training by attending employer-sponsored training (94.4%) or even by attending school to complete a certificate or degree (60.5%). However, active job seekers reported there were barriers to obtaining training including the cost of training (74.9%), and the desired training being unavailable (63.9%). The percentage of active job seekers who reported barriers to training increased when examining those who stated a lack of training or education was an obstacle to them changing employment or reentering the workforce in the next year.
Overall FindingsThis study has identified that there is a large pool of individuals in Nebraska either actively seeking work or willing to change jobs or reenter the workforce in the next year if a suitable job is available. The findings can be used to better understand what is important to these active and potential job seekers and the barriers they may see to accepting a new job. Economic developers, educators, employers, legislators, and others involved in shaping the local economy can use this information to help existing businesses grow and attract new employers and workers to the area.
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study44
Number of Responses by Zip CodeZIP C odes Number of
Responses
68001 <7
68002 37
68003 20
68005 116
68007 62
68008 73
68010 <7
68014 <7
68015 10
68017 18
68018 <7
68022 113
68023 20
68025 482
68028 77
68031 26
68033 <7
68034 <7
68036 <7
68037 12
68040 <7
68041 <7
68044 <7
68045 26
68046 148
68048 70
68050 8
68057 18
ZIP C odes Number of Responses
68059 16
68064 18
68065 21
68066 64
68069 15
68070 <7
68073 12
68102 27
68104 153
68105 92
68106 152
68107 73
68108 36
68110 26
68111 52
68112 50
68113 <7
68114 100
68116 154
68117 31
68118 55
68122 56
68123 126
68124 109
68127 148
68128 98
68130 130
68131 46
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68132 79
68133 68
68134 141
68135 152
68136 94
68137 140
68138 48
68142 19
68144 145
68147 56
68152 52
68154 157
68157 22
68164 148
68182 <7
68301 22
68304 <7
68305 258
68307 <7
68309 <7
68310 191
68313 8
68314 <7
68316 <7
68317 14
68318 <7
68319 <7
68320 25
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68321 <7
68323 15
68324 9
68328 <7
68329 20
68331 <7
68332 8
68333 70
68336 <7
68337 18
68338 7
68339 19
68341 13
68342 11
68343 14
68344 16
68345 9
68346 21
68347 26
68348 18
68349 <7
68350 <7
68351 10
68352 103
68354 12
68355 320
68357 <7
68358 17
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68359 14
68360 9
68365 7
68366 8
68367 <7
68368 <7
68371 7
68372 23
68376 84
68377 8
68378 28
68380 <7
68381 <7
68401 <7
68402 13
68404 12
68405 27
68407 <7
68409 <7
68410 487
68413 <7
68414 <7
68415 <7
68417 14
68418 12
68420 67
68421 12
68422 <7
45
ZIP C odes Number of Responses
68423 15
68424 8
68428 17
68429 <7
68430 15
68433 16
68434 105
68437 13
68439 <7
68440 <7
68441 17
68442 9
68443 44
68446 151
68447 22
68448 13
68450 103
68453 <7
68454 35
68455 <7
68456 8
68457 19
68458 <7
68460 17
68461 9
68462 34
68463 <7
68464 <7
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68465 11
68466 15
68467 165
68502 214
68503 78
68504 118
68505 159
68506 302
68507 146
68508 56
68510 229
68512 117
68516 410
68517 <7
68520 17
68521 236
68522 85
68523 18
68524 34
68526 60
68527 8
68528 54
68531 <7
68532 7
68588 <7
68601 344
68620 49
68621 8
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68622 16
68624 13
68626 <7
68628 <7
68629 11
68631 <7
68632 43
68633 19
68635 <7
68636 60
68637 21
68640 15
68641 22
68642 19
68643 10
68644 13
68647 8
68648 <7
68649 17
68651 16
68652 26
68653 <7
68654 9
68658 13
68659 <7
68660 17
68661 45
68662 14
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68663 10
68666 24
68667 <7
68669 <7
68701 380
68711 11
68713 137
68714 54
68715 25
68716 8
68717 11
68718 95
68719 7
68720 15
68722 13
68723 7
68724 <7
68725 13
68726 22
68727 36
68729 95
68730 113
68734 12
68735 44
68740 9
68742 <7
68746 12
68747 11
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68748 22
68752 12
68753 <7
68755 <7
68756 94
68758 20
68759 12
68760 55
68761 11
68763 251
68764 26
68765 65
68766 23
68767 42
68768 10
68769 75
68773 13
68777 25
68778 44
68779 26
68780 39
68781 23
68783 50
68786 53
68787 77
68788 64
68789 7
68790 9
Nebraska Department of Labor
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study46
ZIP C odes Number of Responses
68791 20
68801 256
68803 273
68810 7
68812 7
68816 <7
68818 76
68820 <7
68821 14
68823 65
68824 7
68826 57
68827 <7
68831 8
68832 23
68833 29
68834 <7
68835 7
68836 8
68838 <7
68840 20
68841 <7
68843 12
68845 236
68847 225
68850 86
68854 13
68858 10
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68861 <7
68863 13
68864 11
68865 10
68866 13
68869 31
68870 <7
68872 11
68873 55
68876 10
68878 <7
68879 8
68883 20
68901 357
68923 <7
68924 13
68925 <7
68927 13
68929 <7
68930 10
68932 <7
68933 13
68934 <7
68935 <7
68937 28
68938 <7
68939 19
68940 <7
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
68941 11
68942 <7
68944 7
68945 <7
68947 <7
68949 102
68950 <7
68952 <7
68954 <7
68955 21
68956 7
68957 <7
68958 <7
68959 54
68960 <7
68961 <7
68970 16
68971 <7
68972 <7
68973 <7
68975 <7
68976 <7
68978 41
68979 13
68980 <7
68981 <7
68982 <7
69001 357
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
69020 8
69021 34
69023 13
69024 32
69025 23
69026 <7
69027 <7
69028 28
69029 11
69030 <7
69032 7
69033 21
69034 22
69036 <7
69037 <7
69038 12
69039 <7
69040 11
69041 <7
69042 <7
69043 7
69044 11
69045 19
69101 973
69122 7
69123 17
69125 15
69127 17
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
69128 <7
69129 37
69130 77
69131 31
69132 <7
69133 11
69134 <7
69135 <7
69138 57
69140 21
69141 16
69142 <7
69143 49
69144 <7
69145 135
69146 11
69147 <7
69148 <7
69149 24
69150 16
69151 11
69152 32
69153 226
69154 7
69155 18
69156 16
69157 11
69161 <7
47Nebraska Department of Labor
ZIP C odes Number of Responses
69162 948
69163 25
69165 49
69166 29
69168 <7
69169 17
69170 10
69201 453
69210 211
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
69211 38
69212 10
69214 21
69216 9
69217 18
69218 9
69219 9
69220 9
69221 8
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
69301 209
69331 <7
69333 20
69334 44
69335 <7
69336 31
69337 83
69339 37
69341 242
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
69343 204
69345 7
69346 8
69347 12
69348 22
69350 11
69351 <7
69352 10
69354 <7
ZIP C odes Number ofResponses
69355 <7
69356 28
69357 85
69358 36
69360 9
69361 351
69366 19
69367 <7
Grand Total 21,593
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study48
Methodology
CherryHolt
Custer
Sioux
Lincoln
Sheridan
GardenMorrill
Knox
Keith
RockBrown
Gage
Chase
Hall
Dundy
Grant
Buffalo
Clay
OtoeDawson
Cedar
Frontier
York
Platte
Hayes
Perkins
Blaine
Arthur
BurtLoup
Cass
Banner
Boone
Boyd
Polk
Hooker
Furnas
Butler
Saline
AntelopePierce
ValleyLogan
Thomas
Harlan
Dixon
Adams
Thayer
Dodge
Phelps
Saunders
Deuel
McPherson
Seward
Howard
Greeley
Cuming
Keya Paha
Garfield
Fillmore
Nance
Hitchcock
Wheeler
Franklin Webster
Madison
Merrick
Colfax
Nuckolls
Gosper
Wayne
Sherman
Kearney
Red Willow
Scotts Bluff
Jefferson
Hamilton
Pawnee
Nemaha
Richardson
Thurston
Douglas
Sarpy
Lancaster
Stanton
Johnson
Dakota
Box Butte
Kimball Cheyenne
Washing nto
Panhandle (Scottsbluff) – 2016
Central (Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney) – 2017
Southwest (North Platte) – 2017
Southeast (Nebraska City) – 2017
Sidney - 2018
Northeast (Columbus, Norfolk, Fremont) – 2018
Omaha Metro– 2018
Lincoln – 2018
Sandhills (Valentine) – 2019
Niobrara (O’Neill) - 2019
Survey Areas and Year Results Published
For all of the Labor Availability Study reports, visit: dol.nebraska.gov/las
Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study
49
MethodologyThe Labor Availability Survey was commissioned by the Nebraska Legislature. This statewide report was compiled from a series of surveys conducted in separate Nebraska survey areas. The data collection, survey processing, and assignment of data weights in each separate area were conducted by BOSR at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. NDOL analyzed results and produced the final reports for each area. Once the statewide dataset was compiled, BOSR produced a statewide data weight for each response based on community college district. Comparable reports are available for many Nebraska communities at dol.nebraska.gov/las.
The goals of the Labor Availability Survey were to obtain an estimated count of the total labor supply for each surveyed area in Nebraska, and to obtain the characteristics of those who will potentially seek new employment or reenter the labor force.
The survey questionnaire for each area was adapted from previous survey projects conducted in other areas of Nebraska. The questionnaire was created and modified by NDOL, NDED, and BOSR. BOSR provided assistance with question development, formatting, and layout. Improvements were made to the questionnaire based on results of studies in other areas. This report is based on a combination of data from each separate survey area.
Commuting patterns were reviewed for each separate survey area. The ZIP codes with the highest number of commuters traveling to each report city for work were identified. Additional ZIP codes were added after the city area was defined to combine them into one large survey area that reflects the region from which businesses draw the majority of their workforce.
BOSR mailed the surveys and collected responses. Directions included with the survey asked the adult (age 19 or older) in each household with the next birthday to complete the survey. In order to fully understand the characteristics of the area workforce, individuals were asked to complete the form regardless of whether they were currently employed or self-employed, unemployed, retired, a homemaker, or otherwise out of the workforce.
Data collection began in 2015 with the mailing of initial survey packets to all selected households in the Scottsbluff survey area. Most recently, data was collected from the O’Neill and Valentine survey areas in the fall of 2018. Each survey packet contained a cover letter, questionnaire and postage-paid return envelope. A postcard reminder and two additional mailings were sent to non-respondents. A total of 21,593 responses from Nebraska ZIP codes were included in the statewide dataset.
For each survey area, data entry was completed by professional data-entry staff at BOSR. Responses from each questionnaire were entered by two data entry workers. Any discrepancies between the two entries were reviewed and resolved by BOSR supervisory staff to ensure high quality data.
The data cleaning process was conducted to create consistency within the datasets prior to analysis. Initial data cleaning was conducted by BOSR to review responses and verify that the skip patterns on the questionnaire were followed. BOSR also reviewed the ZIP codes provided by respondents and those outside of the area of interest were given a special code. New statewide data weights were assigned to responses by BOSR to make responses as representative of the Census estimates of age and gender in the corresponding community college areas as possible. Additional data cleaning was conducted by NDOL to resolve issues with some of the detailed data. For example, respondents were asked to provide the industry of their primary employer. When “Other” was chosen and the response provided fit within one of the categories provided, the response was moved to that category.
All interrelated questions were examined to ensure consistent reporting by each respondent and data was cleaned or removed as necessary.
Additionally, several open-ended survey questions were consistently coded prior to starting the data analysis. NDOL staff assigned Standard Occupational Classification codes to reported occupations. NDOL staff assigned Classification of Instructional Programs codes to responses regarding educational attainment. All other open-ended questions were reviewed as well to create consistent codes to use in the survey analysis.
Nebraska Department of Labor
50 Nebraska Statewide Labor Availability StudyNebraska Statewide Labor Availability Study
AcknowledgmentsNebraska Department of Labor
John H. Albin Commissioner
Phillip Baker Labor Market Information Administrator
Scott Hunzeker Research Supervisor
Dillon Cornett Research Analyst
Scott Ferguson Research Analyst
Grace Johnson Public Information Officer
Hillary Lee Graphic Designer
Partner Agency
Nebraska Department of Economic Development
Dave Rippe Director
David Dearmont, PhD Research Administrator
Melissa Trueblood, PhD Research Manager
Jennifer Zarek Chief Data Officer