Lincoln’s economic growth and employment opportunities continue on an upward path.
According to filings with the State of Nebraska, Lincoln has added over 1,300 (publicly reported) primary jobs so far in 2015. In August, our community’s total job count stood at 186,657, an increase of roughly 3,300 jobs from the same time frame last year.
A significant number of those jobs are coming from Lincoln’s growing technology and startup sector. This summer, Forbes Magazine and the jobs website Dice.com ranked Nebraska as the third fastest growing tech sector job market in the country through the first half of this year. In September, Bloomberg Business showcased Lincoln as an emerging tech hub. Also that month, the technology startup-focused magazine Silicon Prairie News featured the community in an article titled “7 reasons you should pay attention to Lincoln.”
The national attention to our tech industry couldn’t come at a more opportune time.
Much of the Chamber’s focus, along with the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, continues to center on growing companies from startup to industry leader. So far, what the entrepreneurial community has accomplished has been impressive. Their engagement and enthusiasm is the driving force behind a considerable amount of the attention being focused on Lincoln in recent months.
As a community, we are working hard to prevent “brain drain”, where students receive their education and experience in Nebraska and then leave for bigger opportunities elsewhere.
Our job growth numbers show we are making progress and some experts are now saying Lincoln can be thought of as “something of a post-college paradise” today.
On behalf of the Chamber, I assure you we will continue to work on growing this perception beyond our borders and enabling us to lure emerging talent from larger metropolitan areas to Lincoln instead of the other way around.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2015 SILICON PRAIRIE AWARD WINNERS!
Brian Ardinger – Silicon Prairie Champion
Bart Dillashaw – Service Provider of the year
Paul Jarrett, Bulu Box – Executive of the Year
Stephanie Jarrett, Bulu Box – Designer of the Year
Bulu Box, Bulu Insights – Best Creation
Nelnet – Most Innovative Corporation
Hudl – Lifetime Achievement Award
by Wendy Birdsall, President
www.LCOC.com | 402-436-2350
The Chamber’s mission is to improve the lives of Lincoln residents by providing increased economic opportunity and can only be accomplished together. For more information, please contact Jaime Henning atjaimehenning@lcoc.com.