Summary of Driver Data from Workforce and Pay Survey

Recently, rural transit managers asked for wage data for transit drivers in response to the driver shortage across the state. In order to provide relevant data on driver wages, the Nebraska Public Transit team developed and conducted an online survey to better understand driver compensation and benefits in Nebraska. The survey was sent to transit managers through the NDOT rural transit listserv and was open from May 4, 2022 through June 1, 2022. The survey received 44 responses, for a response rate of 72%. Not all respondents answered all questions, so the frequency of responses will vary from question to question. A summary of the data is provided on the following pages as well as a regional breakdown of the average starting hourly pay rates for transit drivers

Recruitment and Retention of Nebraska\u27s Transit Drivers

Many industries across Nebraska are experiencing workforce shortages, and the transit industry is no exception. Recently, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research partnered with the Nebraska Safety Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney to conduct a survey of transit drivers across Nebraska. This work is supported by an ongoing grant both Centers have with the Nebraska Department of Transportation to enhance rural transit operations throughout Nebraska. This survey was informed by an informal focus group with six transit managers representing the six different mobility management regions of Nebraska in the fall of 2022. A common concern among all transit managers was the ability to recruit and retain drivers for their agencies. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to hear directly from drivers currently working in transit agencies about what can be done to better recruit and retain drivers. The driver survey was administered electronically and by mail. A Qualtrics survey link was sent to all transit managers in Nebraska to be forwarded to transit drivers. Additionally, paper surveys were sent to all transit agencies receiving 5311 grant funds. The survey had a 39% response rate, or 168 completed surveys. The survey was open for three weeks, from mid November through December. The survey was conducted and analyzed by CPAR. Not all respondents answered all questions so the number of responses may vary from question to question

Summary of Wage Data from Nebraska Transit Portal

Recently, rural transit managers asked for wage data for a range of positions. As a result, the Nebraska Public Transit team collected the associated information from the Nebraska Transit Portal. The tables provide monthly wages and non-pay related employee expenses (FICA, health insurance, etc.) paid to a range of positions. The data is the monthly average for January 2022 – April 2022. We show the averages in regions for Nebraska. The position titles are taken from information input into the Transit Portal by managers about monthly personnel expenses. The tables include average wages, average fringe benefits, average total combining both wages and fringe. We also include the minimum and maximum to demonstrate the range that is paid within a month. We show all this data because the amount paid to personnel might change month to month for a wide range of reasons. Also, the portal does not provide information on hours worked to receive wages. We provide the data by region, as wages may differ across Nebraska for the same position

Exploring Remote Work in Nebraska

Nebraska ranks 37th in the country for the rate of persons that report working from home (12%), according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2021. Nebraska’s low rate of those that work from home, compared to other states, is likely a function of the work most people do in Nebraska. In Nebraska, more people work in low wage compared to high wage jobs, according to previous research from UNO CPAR. Low wage jobs, in 2021, are defined as below the median income for all workers, or approximately $41,500. “Low wage” jobs are more likely to require in-person work instead of allowing for remote work. Examples of these occupations include manufacturing, agriculture, retail, and food preparation. However, recent research demonstrates that the question used by the Census Bureau to gauge work from home status may underestimate because it fails to capture those that adopt a hybrid approach to work, including both time at a work location and time at home. Thus, it is likely that more people work remotely in Nebraska than is captured by this question. However, Nebraska’s rank among the states at 37 is likely accurate, since the underestimate would likely be true in other states as well. In response to questions about remote workers in Nebraska that work in another state, we can examine data from the same source that explores where someone reports living compared to where they report working

Population Projections for Nebraska Counties 2020 to 2050

The 2020 Census, the official count of every person in the United States, placed the population of Nebraska at 1,961,504. Over the decade 2010 to 2020, the state grew 7.4%, see Figure 1. However, population growth was uneven statewide, as 69 counties lost population while areas including Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, and Columbus grew at stronger rates than previously projected (UNO CPAR, 2015). The release of the 2020 Census data provides the most accurate data to update population projections; however, not all data has been released at this time. Nonetheless, existing data on the fundamental aspects of population change, natural change and migration, are available. Moreover with aggregate population data for 2020, we can best fit a model of population change that reflects past dynamics. Nonetheless, all population projections should be viewed and applied with a great deal of caution as all projections are based on assumptions that may or may not occur. Moreover, as the time horizon for the projections increase, the likelihood of their accuracy decreases