Unemployment rate update for counties outside the metro.

According to the Nebraska Workforce Development-Department of Labor report, the December (preliminary) unemployment rate in Cass County was 4.2%.

The breakdown: Cass County Civilian Labor Force: 13,929; Number Employed: 13,349; Not Employed 580

The December rate was five-tenths of a percentage point higher than the November rate (3.7%) which was also the rate in October and September. The rate was at 4.4% in August.

The Cassgram reports Cass county unemployment was at 4.8% in December of 2011.

The December 2012 rates from neighboring counties with the change from a year earlier in [ ]: Otoe 3.9% [-0.3], Lancaster 3.4% [-0.2], Saunders 3.7% [-0.7] and Sarpy 3.7% [-0.5].

Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for December was 3.7%, the same as the November rate. The December 2011 state unemployment rate was 4.2%.

The seasonally‐adjusted national unemployment rate in December was 7.8%, up 0.1 from November. In 2011, the December national unemployment rate was 8.5%.