OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Like any company, Omaha competes for employees. With unemployment so low, it's always competitive.
Nebraska's unemployment rate in December was 2.6%, sixth lowest in the country, officials announced Tuesday.
Omaha is hiring for more than 500 full- and part-time positions, including seasonal workers.
A big challenge lately is hiring police.
Learn more: Omaha Police Department says it's pulling out all the stops this recruitment season
"We've tried to kind of do more of a three-pronged approach to recruiting," said Jake Behrns, an Omaha recruiting and training coordinator. "We want to get radio ads out there. We want to get commercials out there, and then we want to do a big push on social media."
Applications for the police department are down just as they are throughout the country. But Behrns said applications are up for other city positions. Job fairs have worked, he said. Last year was the first year in a while the city held one. This year, the fairs are being held across the community: in North Omaha, South Omaha, and southwest Omaha.
Behrns encourages anyone with questions or interest in applying to attend a job fair. Folks can apply on the spot, he said, and family members with questions can attend, too.
Aside from benefits, including a pension, Behrns made a service-oriented pitch for city work.
"Everything that we do when it comes to the city is service oriented for our community," he said. Mechanics, for instance, are "fixing those cars so those guys can go out and fix potholes. We're fixing those cars so extra police can be on the street."
The next City of Omaha job fair is Thursday from 4-7 p.m. and the Salvation Army's Kroc Center. The final one will be held on Feb. 9, from 4-7 p.m., at Mockingbird Hills Community Center.
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