Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA MSA — October 2026
Omaha's labor pool is shrinking while its construction pipeline grows.
Nebraska's labor force fell nearly 7,800 workers year-over-year even as unemployment held at 2.9%, while Electrician pay climbed to $72,080 amid competing Google and Meta construction demand.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Nebraska unemployment rate: 2.9% — Sept. 2026, vs 4.2% national rate
- State labor force change: -7,800 workers — Year-over-year, Sept. 2026 vs Sept. 2025
- Warehouse labor gap: 2,800 workers needed — Vs. 0.8% annual metro labor force growth
- Industrial vacancy rate: 2.4% — Vs 7.0% national rate
Key takeaways
Low unemployment is masking a shrinking labor pool.
Nebraska's labor force fell by nearly 7,800 people year-over-year even as the unemployment rate held at 2.9%, meaning the tight rate reflects fewer workers in the market amid limited job creation. That distinction matters for any public narrative about the metro's capacity to support new investment.
Trade wages are pricing in a construction boom with no slack.
Electrician advertised pay rose to $72,080 (moderate increase) and HVAC Technician pay climbed to $65,104, consistent with AGC survey findings that 87% of Nebraska construction firms report open hourly craft positions. Google's and Meta's concurrent buildouts are drawing from the same small statewide trade pool, raising the stakes for any additional large capital project considering the metro.
Warehouse vacancy near zero signals a site-ready, labor-short metro.
Industrial vacancy sits at 2.4% against a 7.0% national rate, reflecting strong developer confidence, but the 2025-2026 pipeline needs roughly 2,800 additional workers against a labor force growing at only 0.8% a year. Commerce leaders courting logistics or distribution investment should treat workforce availability as the binding constraint on building supply.
Consumer-facing wages are diverging from goods-producing and skilled-trade gains.
Food Service Worker pay fell significantly to $30,897 and Retail Sales Associate pay held flat at $31,720, while construction and healthcare wages moved up, pointing to a two-speed metro economy. That divergence has implications for household spending power across income tiers as Q3 CPI continues to outpace national wage growth.
Median advertised pay by role — Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $25,776 | $31,720 | $34,320 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $26,043 | $31,200 | $32,865 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $33,846 | $38,480 | $41,787 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $57,691 | $76,539 | $88,000 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $31,928 | $40,354 | $46,800 | Significant increase | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $35,912 | $41,166 | $46,800 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $58,316 | $72,080 | $83,200 | Moderate increase | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $34,320 | $41,646 | $46,000 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $33,280 | $40,560 | $46,500 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $27,842 | $30,897 | $34,258 | Significant decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $35,494 | $40,560 | $44,824 | Stable | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $35,489 | $41,600 | $45,564 | Stable | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $56,924 | $65,104 | $71,576 | Moderate increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $83,041 | $106,579 | $116,306 | Significant increase | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $98,500 | $126,000 | $146,793 | Moderate decline | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $91,119 | $120,910 | $139,159 | Moderate increase | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $58,200 | $68,000 | $79,070 | Stable | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $70,492 | $87,500 | $93,329 | Moderate increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $51,655 | $66,960 | $77,500 | Moderate increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $49,671 | $53,560 | $63,499 | Stable | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager | $78,793 | $85,499 | $88,654 | Moderate decline | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $32,240 | $39,781 | $48,509 | Stable | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $60,976 | $92,327 | $119,336 | Moderate increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager | — | — | — | No data | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $75,132 | $85,881 | $95,899 | Moderate decline | $98,302 |
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $65,000 | Significant increase | Moderate decline |
| Manufacturing | $79,500 | Significant increase | Moderate increase |
| Retail Trade | $37,378 | Stable | Moderate decline |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $58,240 | Significant increase | Moderate decline |
| Information | $89,756 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $66,154 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $74,641 | Significant increase | Stable |
| Education & Health Services | $61,410 | Moderate increase | Significant decline |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $37,440 | Moderate increase | Moderate increase |
| Government | $66,216 | Significant increase | Significant decline |
Local market conditions
Omaha-Council Bluffs' unemployment rate tracked near 2.9% through September, among the lowest readings of any large metro nationally, yet the metro's labor force is expanding at roughly 0.8% annually against a warehouse and construction pipeline that requires thousands of additional workers over the next two years. Capital projects tied to Meta's Papillion expansion and Google's data-center investment are concentrating demand in electrical and mechanical trades, while statewide labor force size has actually contracted year-over-year even as unemployment holds steady — a sign of tightening availability.
What it means
Tight labor availability alongside active capital investment signals a metro economy still expanding, but expansion capacity is increasingly constrained by workforce size, a factor distinct from site readiness or capital access that economic development planners and site-selection consultants should weigh when evaluating project feasibility. Construction wage growth (Electrician advertised pay up moderately to $72,080) alongside a 2,800-worker warehouse labor gap suggests commerce leaders assessing the metro's capacity to absorb new investment should factor labor-force growth rate, along with unemployment rate, into readiness assessments. Current conditions suggest economic development organizations consider incorporating labor force participation trends, along with the headline jobless rate, into public messaging about the metro's capacity for further large-scale investment.
Looking ahead
Expected data release: Nebraska's October state employment report is due November 20 from BLS; watch whether the labor force contraction seen in September persists or reverses, since that trend line matters more than the headline unemployment rate for assessing real economic capacity.
Emerging pressure point: Concurrent Meta and Google construction timelines in the Omaha-Papillion corridor will continue to compete for the same electrical and mechanical trade pool; any additional large capital announcement in the metro should be read against this existing demand.
Potential inflection point: Delivery Driver advertised pay rose significantly in the metro to $40,354, a notable divergence from the flat national figure of $34,826 — worth tracking whether this reflects localized logistics-sector tightness tied to the warehouse buildout.
Policy to monitor: Nebraska's new state WARN Act, effective July 18, requiring 90-day notice for mass layoffs at firms with 100+ employees, creates an earlier warning window for commerce and workforce planners; watch for the first filings under the new standard as a test of its practical effect.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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