(KLZA)-- Unemployment figures were up slightly in most Southeast Nebraska counties for the month of December. 

Pawnee County continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the area at 2.3% . Pawnee County was the only county in the area with a steady figure for November.  

The highest are unemployment figures are in Nemaha and Johnson Counties, both at 3.1%, which is up slightly. In Richardson County the unemployment rate for December was 2.9% In Otoe County the figure was 2.8% and in Gage County the unemployment rate was 3%.

The figures were lower in all the Southeast Nebraska counties than in December, 2014, accept in Pawnee County where the rate was 2.3% a year earlier as well. 

Nebraska is tied with South Dakota for the second best unemployment rate in the nation at 2.9%. That figure is unchanged from November. North Dakota leads the nation at 2.7%.  Iowa has the sixth best figure at 3.4%; Kansas is tied for 11th at 3.9% and Missouri is tied for 19th in the country at 4.4% unemployment.