OMAHA, Neb., December 15, 2021 – According to data released by the Greater Omaha Chamber, the Greater Omaha area is seeing progress in the economy from a year ago. The Monthly Economic Indicators (MEI) for October 2021, showed still ongoing effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, but improvements in key areas such as a lowered unemployment rate and job growth, indicate signs of promise.
“While there are still challenges we must overcome, we are trending in the right direction.” said Todd Johnson, Senior Vice President, Economic Development Services at the Greater Omaha Chamber. “To further this trend, we are setting ourselves up for a strong 2022 with a focus on workforce development, encouraging economic inclusion, cultivating innovation and continued support for a business-friendly environment in the Greater Omaha area.”
From October 2020-October 2021, the Greater Omaha area has seen an increase in 12,900 net jobs. The unemployment rate continues to see record-low levels at 1.9%, far below the U.S. at large (4.7%). In addition, the Greater Omaha area has more than doubled airline passengers from one year ago (three-month average), from 82,929 passengers in October 2020, to 173,612 in October 2021 – a 109.4% increase. The Greater Omaha area has seen also seen real-time proof of economic development progress with a 38.1% increase in commercial construction permits during this time frame.