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Lincoln has a strong economy, an educated workforce, low unemployment, a low cost of living, and investments in Lincoln's built infrastructure. Despite these positive trends, Lincoln also has opportunities for improvement. Many economists believe that cities with jobs in science, technology, engineering, math, and creative and innovative industries will continue to grow while cities that lag in those areas will decline. Lincoln is only slightly above average in the percentage of science, technology, engineering, and math occupations. Average household income has dropped, when accounting for inflation. The high percentage of children with all parents in the workforce signals the need for high quality day care, but child care costs may consume a significant proportion of a household income.
Lincoln’s Unemployment is Lower Than Nearly Anywhere Else in the U.S.
Workforce Participation is High
Workforce Participation and Unemployment Vary by Race and Ethnicity
High Workforce Participation Combined with High Cost of Child Care Impacts Families
Lincoln's Cost of Living is Low
Average Household Income has Remained Level Since 2011
Most Adults in Poverty are Employed
Most Employed Adults in Poverty Work Part-Time or Part-Year
Approximately Half of Lincoln's Workforce has Post-Secondary Degrees
Compared to the U.S., Lincoln has a highly-educated workforce
Persons with Higher Educational Attainment have Lower Unemployment and Greater Earnings
Jobs Requiring a Master's Degree are Expected to Grow the Fastest in the Next Decade
Businesses Give High Ratings to the Quality of Lincoln's Workforce, but Lower for Availability
Most Workers are Employed by Private Companies
Net Job Creation is on a Downward Trend
New Business Job Growth has Fluctuated, but on Average, is Fairly Steady
The Rate of Establishment of New Businesses has Increased Since the Great Recession
Innovation, as Measured by Patents, has Been on an Upward Trend
The Proportion of Lincoln's STEM Workforce and Creative Industries is Average
Private Investment in Lincoln is Growing
Lincoln has Many Arts and Cultural Organizations but Lags in Supporting Them
Footnotes
1.The median is considered a better measure of average household income than is the mean.
2. Employment Projections Program, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.br>
3. Acs, Z. J., Anselin, L., & Varga, A. (2002). Patents and innovation counts as measures of regional production of new knowledge. Research Policy, 31, 1069-1085.
4. Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century. (2007). Rising above the gathering storm; Energizing and employing America for a brighter economic future. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
5. Rothwell, J. (2013). The hidden STEM economy. Metropolitan Policy Program. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institute.
6. Peer and aspirational communities used in this report are those identified in the 2013 Lincoln Economic Dashboard created by the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development.
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Economy and Workforce
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