OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska suffered a sharp drop in food-processing employment over the past year, the Creighton University survey found, with the state responsible for nearly half of the Mid-American region’s losses.
What changed for workers
The survey shows the region lost about 8,000 food-processing jobs overall; Nebraska alone lost roughly 4,000 food-processing jobs and about 4,900 manufacturing jobs in total during the period examined. The reductions come even as factories across the Mid-America area produced more goods and filled more orders in June.
Dr. Ernie Goss, an economics professor at Creighton University, cited several reasons for the decline in Nebraska:
- plant closures, including the loss of a major Tyson facility in Lexington;
- relocation of production by larger manufacturers;
- trade policies and tariffs that affect cost structures; and
- a reduced national cattle herd, which pushed input costs higher for meat processors.
“In terms of food processing, Nebraska lost about 4,000 jobs in this period we examined,” Dr. Ernie Goss said. “Another factor is we have seen the smallest cattle herd since 1960. That is a big, big issue.”
Local plant changes and replacement jobs
Goss pointed to the January closure of Tyson’s Lexington plant as a major contributor. The opening of a new Sustainable Beef facility in North Platte added about 850 jobs, but that fell well short of the approximately 3,200 positions lost at the Tyson site.
He also noted other recent closures in the state, naming Kellogg’s and Skylark in Omaha, and cautioned that those examples reflect a broader trend that could foreshadow further job losses.
| Category | Estimated job change |
|---|---|
| Food-processing jobs (Nebraska) | -4,000 |
| Total manufacturing jobs (Nebraska) | -4,900 |
| Jobs added at Sustainable Beef (North Platte) | +850 |
Who is affected
Goss emphasized the significance of the losses for Nebraska workers. He described many affected positions as above-average in pay and often held for long tenures, noting that some employees at closed facilities may have worked there for decades.
While the regional manufacturing picture showed some gains in production and order fulfillment for June, the food-processing decline in Nebraska underscores vulnerabilities in industries that rely on livestock supplies and on the decisions of large national companies.
State and local officials, economic development groups and affected workers will likely watch future plant openings and closures closely as they weigh the long-term impact on Nebraska communities.
— Peter Novak, Nebraska correspondent, News Block
