(KLZA)-- Unemployment figures improved for counties in extreme Southeast Nebraska for the month of April.

The Pawnee County unemployment rate dipped to 1.7 percent. That is down three-tenths form March and down from 2.6 percent in April, 2015.

Richardson, Nemaha and Johnson counties all have a 3.1 percent unemployment rate for April. That represents an unemployment decline from the previous month in each county.  

Gage County was also at 3.1 percent and Otoe County was at 3.2 percent unemployment.

Statewide in April the unemployment rate was 3 percent. That is the same rate as in March.  The national unemployment rate in April was 5 percent.

The Nebraska Department of Labor report indicates non-farm employment has increased by 14,637 jobs in the past 12 months.