Chamber President:  Nebraska Needs People

Lincoln, NE (December 3, 2021)  The State of Nebraska needs people, according to the President of the State Chamber of Commerce.  Bryan Slone told the University of Nebraska Board of Regents today that the state lost around 30-thousand members of its workforce during the pandemic, pushing the list of unfilled jobs from 50,000 to 80,000.  Some have returned to the workforce, he said, but many more have not.

“There’s no one quick fix” Slone said.  “Those who disappeared are almost evenly distributed between men and women.  The problem is different in every community from Omaha to Scottsbluff.”

Slone said the state won’t grow out of the problem without recruiting large numbers of young adults to move here, and convincing those born here to remain here for their careers.  He said the University can play a key role in kick-starting the state’s growth, by preparing people for high skill jobs, and helping to arrange internships that will get people started in life here.

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