Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
Overall rank: 8
The Omaha-area economy is one of the nation's bright spots. Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, ConAgra Foods, and Kiewit make their home here. Employment in the Omaha metro peaked in the fourth quarter of last year. Gross metropolitan product in the second quarter was down 3.3% from the peak in the third quarter of last year. Home prices grew 2.6% in the second quarter compared with the same period a year earlier. And the unemployment rate in June was 5.4%, up 1.7 points from a year earlier. (Please see below for the various criteria used by the Brookings Institution to determine the overall ranking.)
Job growth (since peak) rank: 15
Gross Metro Product (since peak) rank: 30
Unemployment change (year over year) rank: 2
Home price change (year over year) rank: 16
