Nebraska WorkForce Index for Fourth Quarter 2010 Shows Continued Progress Toward Recovery

OMAHA, Neb., February 4 – The Nebraska WorkForce Index (WFI), which compares labor availability to job availability in Nebraska, showed positive signs in the fourth quarter, decreasing from 1.55 to 1.52.  A  9.4% percent decrease in the number of unemployed workers from third to fourth quarter contributed to the improvement in the WFI.  The number of jobs posted during that time fell slightly.  The closer the index value is to 1.0, the closer Nebraska is to full employment.  The continued decline in the WFI indicates movement toward economic stability and post-recession recovery.  The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% (from 4.3%) during this same period.

The AIM Institute and Creighton University College of Business produce the Nebraska WorkForce Index (WFI) each quarter to reveal shifts in job availability versus labor availability.  The WFI combines the AIM Institute’s employer data with unemployment data from the state’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Index values greater than 1.0 indicate there are more job seekers than available jobs, while values less than 1.0 suggest a labor shortage.  For more information, visit www.aiminstitute.org/WFI or www.creighton.edu/business/wfi.

The AIM Institute is a membership organization that empowers communities, organizations and individuals through information technology. We are a nonprofit consortium of businesses, colleges/universities, secondary schools and economic development partners. Our signature services are Careerlink, the region’s leading career development website, and Infotec, the Midwest’s premier business and IT conference. For more information, visit www.aiminstitute.org

Guided by its Jesuit heritage, the Creighton University College of Business forms leaders who promote justice and use their business knowledge to improve the world.  Since 1920, the college has awarded almost 10,000 degrees to students from across the nation and around the world.  Dual accreditation in business and accounting education by the AACSB places the college within the top two percent of business schools in the world.  Undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on traditional business disciplines, along with special programs in bioscience management, social entrepreneurship and leadership are taught by 42 full-time faculty members.  Within six months of graduation, nearly 100 percent of our students are placed in jobs or go on to start their graduate education.  For more information, visit www.creighton.edu/business.

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