Workforce Access and Equity

Construction Workforce and Businesses in Nebraska

4/4/2025 | CPAR recently provided the Nebraska Building Chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America, Inc., a data brief about construction turnover and retention in Nebraska. The brief includes data about occupations, demographics, earnings, economic impact, and more.

CPAR Collaborates with UNMC to Analyze the Status and Future of the Healthcare Workforce in Nebraska

5/29/2024 | CPAR collaborated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to project employment trends in the healthcare sector and explore the opportunities and challenges involved in maintaining and growing Nebraska’s healthcare workforce. Our analysis aims to provide strategic insights to support the development of a robust and sustainable healthcare system in the state.

Media Mentions:

• UNMC Newsroom - Health care workforce report highlights challenges, accomplishments
• Lincoln Journal Star - UNMC report sees growth, continued challenges for Nebraska's health care workforce
• KRVN 880 Rural Radio - Health care workforce report highlights challenges, accomplishments
• KGFW 1340 AM / 96.1 FM - Health care workforce report highlights challenges, accomplishments

CPAR Partners with William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies to Study Nebraska's Labor Movement

4/29/2024 | CPAR partnered with the William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies, also housed in UNO's College of Public Affairs and Community Service, to study perceptions of organized labor in Nebraska. The survey findings demonstrate that there is strong support for organized labor among union members and non-union members in Nebraska. Read the executive summary and full report to learn more.

Where Nebraska Workers Live

4/9/2024 | This brief explores the commuter patterns of workers that live in Nebraska and Iowa. CPAR found that workers are more likely to live in Iowa and work in Nebraska than work in Iowa and live in Nebraska, although most workers in Nebraska, live in Nebraska, 93%. These findings indicate that Nebraska has a strong regional economy, with ample opportunities for the workforce; yet, housing and other quality of life factors could be improved to ensure those that work in Nebraska choose to live in Nebraska.

Nebraska Faces Ongoing Brain Drain According to Latest 2022 American Community Survey Data from the United States Census Bureau

12/18/2023 | The recently released data from the 2022 American Community Survey from the United States Census Bureau reveals a persistent challenge for Nebraska as brain drain continued and increased from the previous year. Read the release.

Media Mentions:

• KMTV 3 News Now - Omaha Chamber outlines new strategy to combat brain drain, boost economic growth
• Nebraska Examiner - Nebraska ‘brain drain’ persists, plus another alarm is raised by new census data
• Omaha World Herald – Nebraska’s ‘Brain Drain’ Deepens, Loss of College Grads Now Among Nation’s Worst
• Lincoln Journal Star – Nebraska’s ‘Brain Drain’ Deepens, Loss of College Grads Now Among Nation’s Worst
• Successful Farming – ‘Brain Drain’ Persists in Much of America’s Heartland
• McCook Gazette – Our Opinion: Time to Plug Our State’s Brain Drain
• NPR Kansas City - Midwest 'brain drain' persists. And job opportunity is the main driver.
• CityNewsOKC - "Brain Drain" has grads leaving home for better opportunities
• Nebraska Examiner - Omaha business chamber hopes survey project will promote ‘brain gain’

Nebraska Tech Collaborative Dashboard Developed to Provide Data on the Technology Workforce of Nebraska

9/8/2023 | CPAR recently worked with the Nebraska Tech Collaborative (NTC) to develop the NTC Data Dashboard to provide reliable and timely data on the technology workforce of Nebraska in a visual platform that is easy to use and access. The dashboard will empower stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, philanthropists, and industry professionals with insights to make informed decisions and drive positive change in Nebraska's technology workforce. We intend for the dashboard to be updated regularly to meet the needs of its users.

Media Mention:

• Nebraska Examiner - UNL launches partnership to help Nebraska prepare for growing demand in tech careers
• Silicon Prairie News - Using data to grow Nebraska’s tech workforce

Exploring Remote Work in Nebraska

8/16/2023 | CPAR has received quite a few requests recently for data on our workforce and particularly trends in remote work. We delved into microdata to bring you insights on remote work in Nebraska, how we compare to other states, and the specifics of when and where Nebraskans choose to work in other states.

Media Mentions:

• Nebraska Examiner - Nebraska ranks 37th for rate of labor force that works from home
• Flatwater Free Press - Remote reality: Agreeable bosses, speedy internet remaking work in Sandhills
  
• Kearney Hub - Capitol View: No more work from home?

Foreign-born Labor Force

5/23/2023 | CPAR recently compiled data showing how foreign-born people in Nebraska have a higher labor participation rate than the state’s U.S.-born population. The data also shows that perhaps more pertinent to the current labor crunch, that low-wage service and production jobs are more likely to be filled by the foreign-born also are the jobs that today have a high rate of openings in Nebraska.

Media Mentions:

• Nebraska Examiner - Foreign-born Huskers contribute 8% of state economic input, report says
• Nebraska Examiner - Nebraska urged to become ‘most welcoming place in America’ for immigrants
• Flatwater Free Press - Nebraska Evolving: The perception is that Nebraska's smaller communities are dying. The reality is that many rural Nebraska counties are now growing for one reason. Immigration.
• Flatwater Free Press - ‘Quinceañeras every weekend’: Nebraska’s Latinos are increasingly native born – and eager to keep traditions alive

Women and Entrepreneurship in Nebraska

5/15/2023 | CPAR was featured in a Nebraska examiner article about women and entrepreneurship. Learn more about CPAR's research on inclusive entrepreneurship. Find out who won the second annual Minority Small Business Summit Pitch Competition, which is a direct investment of funding into Nebraska’s underrepresented business owners.

Population and Workforce Trends in the State

3/16/2023 | Review a webinar discussion between UNO CPAR Director Josie Schafer, Open Sky Policy Institute Executive Director Rebecca Firestone, and Cornell University's Cristobal Young on what influences interstate migration and the role taxes may play. Schafer pointed out recent trends in brain drain out of Nebraska and how the data shows a lesser link between tax policy and keeping workers in Nebraska.

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University of Nebraska Board of Regents Presentation about Workforce and Education Demographics

2/10/2023 | CPAR Director Josie Schafer presented to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on the changing education and workforce demographics impacting Nebraska. View the recording and presentation slides.

Media Mentions:

• An article in the Nebraska Examiner describes how Nebraska's shifting workforce demands amid 'brain drain' should sound an alarm.
• Omaha's 6 News WOWT took a deeper look into why Nebraskans are leaving the state.
• An article in the Lincoln Journal Star tells how University of Nebraska is looking to reverse the trend of Nebraska losing college graduates to other states.
• University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter wrote an op-ed about how now is the time to take the NU System's growth opportunity and create its next chapter of economic and workforce success.
• An article in the Nebraska Examiner written by Creighton University's President Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson discusses fostering brain gain and how it starts with nurturing a desire for purpose.
• An article in the Daily Nebraskan talks to a special education student who isn't planning to stay in Nebraska after graduation partly because of recent legislation around teaching in Nebraska.
• An article in the Nebraska Examiner shows that across several measures and data sets, jobs and professional growth rise as the major motivation driving migration patterns for why people leave Nebraska.
• Schafer recently had a conversation with Tom Knoblauch, Riverside Chats on KIOS Omaha Public Radio, about her research on Nebraska’s concerning demographic trends, the root causes of brain drain, and what steps may be taken to mitigate concerns as job requirements shift over the coming decades.
• Schafer recently had a conversation with Bill Schammert, KETV Newswatch 7 Chronicle, for Part 3 of Workforce Retention in Omaha. They discussed brain drain and how state leaders can keep Nebraska's best and brightest right here in our communities.
• Omaha's 6 News WOWT looked into how the creative arts community is taking a different approach to keeping young professional talent in Nebraska.

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UNO Strategic Planning | Workforce Development

12/5/2022 | UNO CPAR continues to analyze Nebraska’s workforce. CPAR Director Josie Schafer recently spoke at UNO’s strategic planning forum on the importance of our contributions to workforce development in Nebraska.

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Population and Workforce Trends in the State

11/7/2022 | Review a webinar discussion between Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Sloan and UNO CPAR Director Josie Schafer on population and workforce trends in the state.

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CPAR Receives Inclusive Ecosystems Grant

10/11/2022 | The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is granting UNO CPAR $310,000 to conduct original research on the impacts of representation and decision-making in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Read more.

Media Mention:

• KMTV 3 News Now: Neighbors dreaming of being successful entrepreneurs

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CPAR Research Partners with Goodrich Scholarship Program for Return on Investment Analysis

9/22/2022 | CPAR partnered with the Goodrich Scholarship Program to conduct a return on investment analysis of this long running and impactful UNO program. Read the report and the stories of some Goodrich Scholarship students.

Nebraska’s Women in STEM: Listen Then Act

6/9/2022 | Women in Nebraska’s workforce frequently encounter and overcome gender barriers as they pursue careers in STEM fields in Nebraska, according to a new report released this month by the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Bio Nebraska and Nebraska Cures commissioned the report with NASA Nebraska Space Grant funding for a graduate student research assistant. Learn more at NebraskaWomenInSTEM.com.

Wage Data for Public Transit Agencies

5/27/2022 | In response to a request for wage data for employees of Nebraska public transit agencies, CPAR compiled data from the Nebraska Transit Portal. This portal is a project of our ongoing partnership with the Nebraska Department of Transportation to support more efficient and effective rural public transit in Nebraska. The Summary of Wage Data report provides monthly wages and non-pay related employee expenses paid to a range of positions, for January-April 2022. The Summary of Driver Data report provides results from a survey of transit agencies conducted May 4, 2022 through June 1, 2022.

Entrepreneurship in Nebraska

1/4/2022 | Through a review of baseline data on entrepreneurship in Nebraska, interviews, and a survey, the Entrepreneurship in Nebraska Report summarizes the key challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurship development in Nebraska from the perspective of the statewide entrepreneurship ecosystem. Watch Josie Schafer present related research at the Entrepreneurship Best Practices Summit. | Listen to an interview with Josie Schafer on Nebraska Public Media. | See coverage of report in the NE Chamber News Update.