♪ >> A FEW BUSINESSES IN OUR STATE HAVE BEEN IMMUNE TO THE IMPACTS OF BLEAK WORK FORCE AND AN EXHAUSTED SUPPLY CHAIN.

HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED THE NEBRASKA ECONOMY?

PLUS, HAVE NEBRASKA COVID CASES PEAKED?

AND THE LEGISLATURE SETS ITS SIGHTS ON TAXES.

ALL OF THAT TONIGHT ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

♪ >>> THANKS FOR JOINING US ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

I'M NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS DIRECTOR, DENNIS KELLOGG.

NEBRASKA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SET RECORDS AGAIN LAST MONTH.

NEW FIGURES RELEASED THIS WEEK PUT NEBRASKA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 1.7%.

FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT MONTH, THE STATE SET THE RECORD FOR THE LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED IN THE UNITED STATES.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE STATE'S ECONOMY?

NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS PRODUCER, WILL BAUER, REPORTS.

>> THE BIGGEST ISSUE FACING NEBRASKA BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW?

>> LABOR SHORTAGES, FINDING AND HIRING QUALIFIED WORKERS IS THE BIG ISSUE, AND WITH THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE NATION, THAT CERTAINLY MAKES IT A TRIPLE TASK FOR ALL THOSE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR WORKERS OUT THERE.

>> CREIGHTON ECONOMIST ERNIE GOSS HASN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

NO ONE HAS.

AFTER THE PANDEMIC, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE LEFT THE WORKFORCE, AND THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH SUCH A LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, LEAVES MANY BUSINESSES LOOKING FOR HELP.

IF YOU LOOK, YOU'LL SEE SIGNS, AND IT'S NO SECRET THAT NOT ENOUGH WORKERS MEANS MEAGER OFFERINGS ON STORE SHELVES AND WAITING LONGER FOR SERVICES.

NEBRASKA'S RATE IS HISTORIC AND WELL PAST WITH GOSS AND OTHER ECONOMISTS CALL FULL OR NATURAL EMPLOYMENT.

>> IT'S THE RATE AT WHICH IF YOU GO BELOW THAT YOU CREATE EXCESSIVE INFLATION.

FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE BELOW THE NATURAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RIGHT NOW, IN MY JUDGMENT.

>> OPINIONS DIFFER, BUT UNL ECONOMIST ERIC THOMPSON AGREES, NEBRASKA'S IDEAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SHOULD BE AROUND 2.5%.

>> AND SO, A STATE LIKE NEBRASKA WHERE A HIGHER MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE FIT THAT DESCRIPTION JUST HAS A LOWER, NATURAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.

PEOPLE ARE LESS LIKELY TO STAY UNEMPLOYED FOR VERY LONG, AND THEY'RE MORE LIKELY -- THEIR EMPLOYERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'LL BE HARD TO REPLACE IF THEY LET THEM GO.

>> THIS CURRENT SITUATION IS A PERPLEXING PROBLEM FOR SOME BUSINESS OWNERS, LIKE ANTHONY KELLOGG.

>> I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE REASON.

PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT TO WORK.

THERE'S A LOT OF LAZINESS GOING ON.

>> HE OWNS CROSS CUTS, A BARBER AND CLOTHING SHOP IN DOWNTOWN OMAHA.

HE MANAGED WITH NEBRASKA'S NATURALLY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT BEFORE, BUT NOW IT'S DIFFERENT.

>> I PUT OUT A LOT OF POSTS, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE.

THEY'LL COME, THEY'LL LIKE IT.

THEY'LL WORK FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN THEY SEEM LIKE THEY JUST KIND OF FIZZ AWAY SO A COUPLE OF THEM STAYED, GO TO DIFFERENT SHOPS, BUT THE CONSISTENCY, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH MY WORK.

>> EVEN THOUGH THE SITUATION MAY BE TOUGH FOR KELLOGG'S BUSINESS, ECONOMISTS SAY THERE ARE SOME WINNERS, AGAIN, ERIC THOMPSON.

>> I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS THE PEOPLE -- A LOT OF PEOPLE GETTING THE BIGGEST RAISES ARE THE PEOPLE THAT COULD USE A RAISE THE MOST, YOU KNOW, MODERATE, SKILL-MODERATE INCOME WORKERS.

THAT NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING, EVEN IF IT IS A TEMPORARY SITUATION, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER A LOT OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT EMPLOY PEOPLE ARE MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE THEMSELVES, AND SO IT CAN BE A HARD SHIFT ESPECIALLY IN THOSE CASES.

>> PEOPLE LIKE KELLOGG WHO IS THREE BARBERS SHORT IN HIS SHOP.

>> AND THE FEW PEOPLE THAT -- THE FIVE PEOPLE I HAVE HAD I'VE HAD THEM FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.

ONCE THEY FIND HERE AND FIND THEIR WORTH AND DO SOMETHING GOOD, THEN THEY STICK AROUND, SO -- I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE EIGHT ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW?

THAT'S WHAT IT'S BUILT FOR.

THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD BE.

>> FOR NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS, I'M WILL BAUER.

♪ >>> JOINING US NOW, BRYAN SLONE, THE PRESIDENT OF NEBRASKA'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ALSO JENNIFER RYAN AT UNL, THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND PROFESSOR OF SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS, AND ALSO HANK ROBINSON, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AT METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US AND BEING ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA" TONIGHT.

BRYAN, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

GIVE ME A FEEL FOR WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM BUSINESSES ACROSS NEBRASKA ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ECONOMY AND WHERE THEY THINK WE'RE HEADED.

>> I WOULD SAY NEBRASKA'S ECONOMY PROBABLY BETTER THAN MOST STATES IS SURVIVING THE PANDEMIC, BUT WITHOUT QUESTION THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE IS WORKFORCE FOR ALMOST EVERY ONE OF OUR EMPLOYERS, AND THE ALSO SUPPLY-CHAIN ISSUES ARE CAUSING A LOT OF DISRUPTION.

>> YOU TALK ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN.

JENNIFER, YOU SPECIALIZE IN SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT.

I'M SURE MANY NEBRASKANS HAVE NOTICED THAT THE SHELVES AT THE GROCERY STORE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE EMPTY AND THEIR PACKAGES ARE TAKING LONGER TO SHIP.

WHERE WITH ARE WE HEADED FOR SUPPLY-CHAIN PROBLEMS?

I SHOULD SAY WERE WE HEADED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN OR CAN WE ATTRIBUTE ALL OF THIS TO THE PANDEMIC?

>> MUCH OF IT IS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

I THINK WE HAD WELL-WORKING SUPPLY CHAINS BEFORE WHERE IF WE HAD A PROBLEM, IF WE HAD A DISRUPTION, IT MIGHT BE A BLIP BUT NOW WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE IF WE HAVE A WINTER STORM, WE'RE SO FRAGILE TO BEGIN WITH IT REALLY IS QUITE DISRUPTIVE.

>> HANK, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE GREAT RESIGNATION.

OUR WORKFORCE IS CHANGING WITH MORE PEOPLE VOLUNTARILY LEAVING THEIR JOBS, WORKING ON THEIR HOME, WORKING FROM HOME, AND OF COURSE A LOT OF THEM AFFECTED BY COVID, AS WELL.

ARE WE GOING TO LOOK BACK ON THIS TIME PERIOD AS A MONUMENTAL MAJOR SHIFT IN HOW WE WORK, OR IS IT JUST THAT BLIP AND THAT'S ALL IT IS?

>> IT'S DEFINITELY A TRANSITION TO SOME NEW PHASE.

I SAW A QUOTE LAST WEEK THAT SAID THAT EMPLOYERS BEGAN TO SEE THE 2010S AS A GOLDEN AGE FOR CHEAP LABOR, AND THEY FINISHED OUT THE QUOTE WITH THE 2020S WILL NOT BE.

>> WELL PUT.

WELL, MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT COULD FILL THE JOBS THAT HAVE LEFT THE WORKFORCE BECAUSE OF COVID, THEY'RE STILL SEARCHING FOR THEM.

BRYAN, RIGHT BEFORE COVID, THE STATE SAW ITS BIGGEST LABOR FORCE.

DOES THAT WORKFORCE EVER COME BACK?

>> I THINK THE WORKFORCE WILL COME BACK NOT ENTIRELY, AND IT WILL COME BACK IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LOST TWO YEARS OF WORKFORCE GROWTH THAT NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE HAD.

I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WE NEEDED 50,000 PEOPLE MORE TO FILL OUR JOBS.

TODAY, I WOULD SAY IT'S 80,000 OR 90,000.

>> WOW.

HANK, IN DECEMBER, NEBRASKA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.7%.

THAT'S THE THIRD STRAIGHT MONTH THAT THE STATE SET A RECORD FOR LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE UNITED STATES SO ARE WE PAST THE POINT WHERE YOU THINK STATE LEADERS SHOULD BE TOUTING NEBRASKA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BECAUSE IT'S DRIVING INFLATION AND MAYBE MAKING IT HARDER FOR BUSINESSES TO FIND WORK?

>> THERE'S ACTUALLY A FEW OTHER NUMBERS THAT HELP US PUT SOME CONTEXT AROUND THAT 1.7%.

AT THE SAME TIME THE NDOL REPORTED THAT, IT ALSO REPORTED THAT THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND STATEWIDE THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 17,000 PEOPLE WHO REMAIN UNEMPLOYED AND WERE AVAILABLE TO WORK.

THAT WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION RATE HAS DROPPED, BUT IT REMAINS SECOND IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF HOW HIGH IT REALLY IS.

OUR HISTORICAL PEAK AROUND WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION RATE HAS BEEN AROUND 71-72%, AND WE'RE AT 68%.

SO WE'RE NOT VERY FAR FROM BEING FULLY EMPLOYED AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

>> SO, WHAT'S THE ANSWER?

WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS, WHAT SHOULD STATE GOVERNMENT, WHAT SHOULD THE LEGISLATURE BE DOING TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTO THE OPEN POSITIONS?

>> WELL, THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED IN COVID WAS THAT BRYAN AND I HAVE SEEN IS THAT NDOL REPORTED THAT THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2021, TWO-THIRDS OF THE JOBS THAT WERE LOST PAID LESS THAN $16 AN HOUR SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS WITH LOWER SKILLS, MEDIUM-RANGE SKILLS, ABLE TO MOVE UP INTO BETTER JOBS.

ABLE TO MOVE LATERALLY INTO MORE DESIRABLE POSITIONS, AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER TIME IS THIS IS PROBABLY THE TIME IN NEBRASKA'S HISTORY WHERE WE'VE HAD THE FEWEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORKING MULTIPLE PART-TIME JOBS BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND A FULL-TIME JOB THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

>> BRYAN, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LATEST CENSUS NUMBERS, WE SEE THAT THE POPULATION ISN'T NECESSARILY GROWING.

DOES THAT MEAN STRATEGICALLY WE HAVE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY?

DO WE HAVE TOO MANY JOBS RIGHT NOW?

DO WE HAVE TO TRY TO PARE DOWN THE NUMBER OF JOBS TO MATCH THE NUMBER OF WORKERS WE HAVE?

>> I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE THE OPPOSITE OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE GOING.

IF YOU LOOK AT OUR HISTORY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE HAVE NOT BEEN GROWING AS OTHER STATES HAVE AT THE SAME RATES BOTH IN TERMS OF JOBS AND PEOPLE, AND CERTAINLY PEOPLE.

I'D SAY INSTEAD WHAT WE SHOULD TURN TO IS REALLY THREE OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTRACT PEOPLE.

ONE IS KEEP MORE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HERE IN NEBRASKA AND REALLY MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO DO THAT.

TWO, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF UNDEREMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE AS HANK WAS REFERRING TO AND REALLY CONNECTING THEM TO JOBS AND TRAINING.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY, NOT ONLY NEBRASKA, BUT THE OTHER REST OF THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO LOOK VERY HARD AT NON-PARTISAN IMMIGRATION REFORM.

LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO CAN WORK IN THE UNITED STATES LEGALLY.

THAT HAS TO BE PART OF THE PICTURE.

>> JENNIFER, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF THE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE, AND PART OF THAT IS SUPPLY CHAIN, AS WELL.

YOU'VE SAID THAT WHEN WORKING WELL, SUPPLY CHAINS ARE INVISIBLE, ESPECIALLY TO THE AVERAGE PERSON SO THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS ANYTHING BUT INVISIBLE NOW.

IT'S FRONT AND CENTER, IT'S VERY VISIBLE.

WHAT LESSONS, IF ANY, ARE WE LEARNING FROM HOW WE'VE HANDLED OR MISHANDLED THE CURRENT SITUATION?

>> I THINK WE'RE LEARNING HOW SUPPLY CHAINS COULD BE DESIGNED TO BE MORE RESILIENT.

THEY NEED TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE.

THEY NEED TO HAVE SOMETIMES EXTRA CAPACITY OR EXTRA INVENTORY BUILT IN.

SOMETIMES, THEY NEED TO HAVE ALTERNATE ROUTES TO SHIP PRODUCT.

WE CAN'T BE RELIANT ON ONE WAY OF DOING ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S TRANSPORTATION OR WHETHER IT'S MATERIALS OR WHETHER IT'S THE SUPPLIER.

WE NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE.

>> COULD WE HAVE DONE MORE -- MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING HERE -- BUT COULD WE HAVE DONE MORE EARLIER?

COULD PRESIDENT BIDEN SAY, HAVE INVOLVED THE NATIONAL GUARD TO UNLOAD SOME OF THOSE SHIPS OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND THEN PUT THEM ON TRUCKS TO DRIVE THE SUPPLIES TO WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE?

IS THERE ANYTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE TO ALLEVIATE THE BOTTLENECKS EARLIER?

>> I'M SURE THERE ARE THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE, BUT IT'S NOT SO EASY.

THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PUT THE STUFF WHEN IT CAME OFF THE SHIPS.

THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM.

YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT STARTING BACK IN 2020 DID TRY TO MAKE SOME EFFORTS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF EFFORT TO KEEP THE FLOW OF PPES, RIGHT, EARLY ON TO LOOSEN A LITTLE BIT OF THE TRUCK-DRIVER REGULATIONS TO ALLOW THEM TO TRANSPORT THAT CRITICAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, SO THERE WERE EFFORTS, BUT IT WAS VERY HARD.

THERE WERE JUST SO MANY CHALLENGES YOU COULDN'T ADDRESS THEM ALL.

>> HANK, IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPLY-CHAIN ISSUES, WE'VE SEEN THE WAITS FOR RESTAURANTS A LITTLE BIT LONGER NOW.

WE KNOW THE PACKAGES ARE TAKING LONGER TO SHIP AT THIS POINT.

WHERE IN NEBRASKA HAVE YOU SEEN THE GREATEST IMPACTS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF PRODUCTS AND THE LACK OF WORKERS?

>> IT'S IN THOSE JOBS AND IN THOSE BUSINESSES THAT RELY ON PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING AT $16 AN HOUR OR LESS FOR SURE.

AND EVEN WHEN YOU GO UP TO THE $16-$20 PER HOUR RANGE YOU SEE THE SECOND-LARGEST DROP OFF IN JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

SO, AT THAT END OF THE SPECTRUM, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE -- YOU DON'T HAVE THE MARGINS TO SUPPORT LARGE-SCALE EMPLOYMENT ANYMORE THE WAY THAT COVID IS BREAKING OUT.

AND SO, WHILE THEY DO NEED TO HIRE FOLKS, THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SUPPLY-CHAIN SHORTAGES, AND EVEN THE INCREASING COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES THAT THEY RELY ON.

>> BRYAN, AGRICULTURE IS A VITAL PART OF NEBRASKA'S ECONOMY.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNIQUE WAYS THAT YOU THINK THAT INDUSTRY HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THE WORKER SHORTAGES AND THE SUPPLY CHAINS AND HOW ARE THEY WEATHERING THE STORM?

>> I WOULD SAY OUR TWO LARGEST INDUSTRIES BY FAR ARE AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING.

THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR.

ULTIMATELY, BOTH INDUSTRIES HAVE DONE FAIRLY WELL, SURPRISINGLY, DURING THIS PANDEMIC, BUT FROM A WORKFORCE STANDPOINT IT'S PUSHING BOTH INDUSTRIES VERY, VERY FAST TOWARDS AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A GOOD THING OVERALL, BUT TO HANK'S POINT, AS THESE COMPANIES AND AS THE AG INDUSTRY INVESTS IN TECHNOLOGY, THAT'S AN EXPENSE THE BUSINESS MODEL HAS CHANGED, SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CREATE NEW EFFICIENCIES AND WE NEED TO HELP SUPPORT THESE INDUSTRIES AS THEY NOT ONLY DEVELOP WORKFORCE, BUT IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS.

>> AND OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY'S EYES ARE ON INFLATION AT THIS POINT, WONDERING WHERE THAT'S GOING TO GO.

JENNIFER, CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIRECT IMPACT OF SUPPLY-CHAIN SHORTAGES, WORKER SHORTAGES ON INFLATION?

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, IF THERE'S A MISMATCH IN SUPPLY AND DEMAND, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLY, THAT PUSHES UP PRICES, RIGHT, AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH A LACK OF WORKERS THAT LIMITS OUR SUPPLY.

SUPPLY CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH DEMAND AND THE PRICES GO UP.

>> BRYAN, THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS SAID THEY MAY HIKE INTEREST RATES AS MUCH AS THREE TIMES IN THE COMING YEAR.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IS THAT GOING TO HAVE ON THE OVERALL ECONOMY AND NEBRASKA'S ECONOMY?

>> WELL, INFLATIONARY PRESSURES ARE NEVER GOOD AT THE SAME POINT AND TIME THAT THE BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY STRESSED WITH BUSINESS-MODEL EXPENSES AROUND SUPPLY CHAIN AND WORKFORCE.

IT'S GOING TO MAKE THOSE PROBLEMS A BIT WORSE.

IF IT'S ONLY A SERIES OF CHANGES THAT ARE MAYBE, LET'S SAY, TWO QUARTER-POINT CHANGE OR FOUR-QUARTER POINT CHANGES DURING THE YEAR, IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT BUT IT WILL NOT BE CATASTROPHIC IN ANY WAY BUT IF WE GET TO INFLATION RATES THAT ARE MORE LIKE WHEN I WAS FIRST OUT OF COLLEGE IN THE '70S THAT ARE CLOSE TO DOUBLE DIGIT OR DOUBLE DIGIT INFLATION RATES, THAT WILL BECOME VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.

>> HANK, ONE WAY THAT BUSINESSES HAVE DEALT WITH THE LACK OF WORKERS IS TO RAISE WAGES.

WE'VE SEEN THAT, FOR INSTANCE, IN TRAVELING NURSES THAT ARE GETTING MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN THE AVERAGE RATE NURSE IN NEBRASKA.

HOW DO YOU INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE THOUGH TO RETURN TO THE WORKFORCE KNOWING THAT YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP HIKING WAGES FOREVER?

>> IT MEANS EMPLOYERS HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR STRATEGIES THAT THEY'VE HISTORICALLY RELIED ON TO RETAIN WORKFORCE.

WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF RESEARCH OUT NOW THAT SAYS THAT EMPLOYERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE TRANSITION TO THE NEW LABOR POOLS STILL HAVE IN PLACE MECHANISMS THAT THEY USE TO MANAGE LARGE NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS.

THEY HAVEN'T ADJUSTED HR PRACTICES TO ACCELERATE THE RATE AT WHICH THEY BRING PEOPLE ON.

THEY CONTINUE TO EXERCISE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES THAT WORKED FINE FOR THEM WHEN THERE WAS A SURPLUS OF EMPLOYEES TO BE BROUGHT ON.

THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE.

WE'RE GOING THROUGH A REAL TRANSITION IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.

FORTUNATELY IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA, WITH THE NUMBER OF MOM AND POP SHOPS AND COMPANIES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE GROUND LIKE THAT, I THINK, ONE OF OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES HAS BEEN WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MORE POSITIVE.

IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY OUR EMPLOYMENT, OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HAVE STAYED AS LOW AS THEY HAD BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A COMMON COMMITMENT TO IT.

THE QUESTION IS WHETHER WE CAN WIN IN THE ARMS RACE AS SALARIES ESCALATE OUTSIDE THE MIDWEST AND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

>> AND, HANK, YOU WORK AT METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

JENNIFER, YOU'RE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT LINCOLN.

HOW ARE YOU CHANGING HOW YOU'RE TRAINING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE RIGHT NOW?

HOW IS THIS IMPACTING YOUR TRAINING?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY RAISES THE QUESTION ABOUT IS, DO WE HAVE THE LUXURY OF TWO YEARS, FOUR YEARS TO TAKE SOMEONE THROUGH A STRAIGHT CLASSROOM-TYPE EDUCATION AND THAT WAS STARTING TO CHANGE EVEN BEFORE COVID, BUT OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW THOSE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT ARE STILL OPEN IN 2030 AND STILL ENJOYING ENROLLMENTS HAVE MOVED ALMOST TO CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT-TYPE PROGRAMS, ASYNCHRONOUS, JUST IN TIME DELIVERY OF TRAINING.

A SHIFT FROM CREDIT-BASED, ACADEMIC CREDIT-BASED PROGRAM TO CERTIFICATE AND NON-CREDIT-BASED-TYPE PROGRAMS.

>> ANYTHING TO ADD, JENNIFER?

>> SURE, I MEAN, WE DO A LOT IN THE ONLINE SPACE AND SHORT FOUR-COURSE PROGRAMS SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT.

>> JUST A COUPLE MINUTES LEFT.

I WANT TO GET EACH OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.

ARE WE CONFIDENT AT THIS POINT IN THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE TAKING TO ADDRESS THESE TWO PROBLEMS IN PARTICULAR: SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND WORKFORCE ISSUES?

BRYAN, I'LL LET YOU START.

>> I'M GOING TO BREAK IT BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERAL VERY QUICKLY.

AT THE STATE LEVEL, I'M SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS THAT ARE GOING TO SET OUR FUTURE FOR THE NEXT DECADE AROUND THESE WORKFORCE ISSUES, AND EVEN TO THE POINT OF THE CULTURAL ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE THAT HANK WAS TALKING ABOUT.

I'M REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH NEBRASKA'S ABILITY TO DO THAT BETTER THAN ANY OTHER STATE.

AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, I MENTIONED IMMIGRATION REFORM BEFORE.

ABSENCE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BEING ABLE TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY TO SOLVE THESE THINGS AND TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE PARTISAN RHETORIC PARTICULARLY AROUND IMMIGRATION.

I HAVE MARKED GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT SIDE.

>> JENNIFER?

>> I THINK THE WORKFORCE ISSUES HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED END TO END IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN.

IF YOU CAN MAKE THE PRODUCT, THAT'S FINE, BUT IF YOU CAN'T STOCK IT ON THE SHELF, IF THERE'S NOBODY AVAILABLE TO DO THAT THEN IT'S NO GOOD, RIGHT, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE AN END-TO-END PERSPECTIVE WHEN THINKING ABOUT POLICY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

>> HANK, ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK?

>> THERE'S JUST SOME DEMOGRAPHIC REALITIES THAT WE HAVE TO FACE UP TO AND THERE'VE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT PRIOR TO COVID.

ONE OF THEM IS THAT YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT FOR THE NEXT DECADE NEBRASKA'S ONLY GOING TO GRADUATE ABOUT 25, 000 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS.

THAT'S NOT VERY MUCH OF AN INFUSION INTO OUR JOB PIPELINE SO STRATEGIES LIKE BRYAN'S TALKING ABOUT.

THE OTHER THING THAT IN HIGHER EDUCATION WE'RE STARTING TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT THERE'S ABOUT 50 MILLION PEOPLE WITHIN A DIRECT ONE-HOUR FLIGHT FROM MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS AROUND OMAHA-LINCOLN AREA THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB REACHING OUT TO.

THERE'S ABOUT 20,000 OF THEM BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5 AND 40, SO IF WE LOOK AT OUR 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE HERE, AND WE TRY TO SOLVE IT WITH THAT, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO WORK.

BUT WE DO HAVE OTHER OPTIONS.

>> ALL RIGHT, WE'LL END ON THAT.

HANK ROBINSON WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AT METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OMAHA.

JENNIFER RYAN IS THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND PROFESSOR OF SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS AT UNL AND BRYAN SLONE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEBRASKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH US ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

THIS INTERVIEW AND TONIGHT'S PROGRAM ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

JUST GO TO NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG/ SPEAKINGOFNEBRASKA AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AT @NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIANEWS.

♪ >>> COVID-19 CASES ARE AT THE SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS SEEN THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

HERE TO DISCUSS THE LATEST WITH THE OMICRON SURGE IS DR. JAMES LAWLER, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT AND THE CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER'S GLOBAL CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY.

DR. LAWLER, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.

>> ACCORDING TO THE CDC, THE 7-DAY AVERAGE FOR COVID-19 CASES REACHED 4400 CASES PER DAY LAST WEEK.

THAT'S THE HIGHEST THUS FAR INTO THE PANDEMIC.

THOSE CASES, HOWEVER, HAVE RECEDED A LITTLE BIT THIS WEEK.

HAVE WE REACHED THE PEAK HERE IN NEBRASKA?

>> WELL, I HOPE SO.

JUST AS THE OMICRON EPIDEMIC WAVE HAS PEAKED AT DIFFERENT TIMES ACROSS THE WORLD AND ACROSS THE U.S., I THINK IT WILL PEAK AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN NEBRASKA.

I DEFINITELY THINK THAT OMAHA AND LINCOLN AND THE EASTERN PARTS OF THE STATE SEEMED TO HAVE PASSED A PEAK AND ARE HEADING DOWN FROM A CASE-COUNT PERSPECTIVE.

I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE THAT STILL HAVE NOT YET REACHED THEIR PEAK, BUT PROBABLY SHOULD SOON, AND THEN THE QUESTION WILL BE, HOW QUICKLY WILL WE COME DOWN AND HOW FAR WILL WE COME DOWN?

>> NOW, EARLIER THIS WEEK, PFIZER LAUNCHED A CLINICAL TRIAL TO TARGET THE OMICRON VARIANT WITH A COVID VACCINE.

DOES THIS MEAN THAT EVERY VACCINE IS GOING TO NEED -- EVERY VARIANT IS GOING TO NEED ITS OWN VACCINE?

AND ARE WE JUST CHASING THE NEXT VACCINE?

ARE WE ALWAYS GOING TO BE BEHIND HERE?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE THAT WERE OBVIOUSLY MADE TO TARGET THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE VIRUS THAT AROSE OUT OF WUHAN STILL PROVIDE EXCELLENT PROTECTION AGAINST HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH.

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE DATA THAT'S COME OUT OF THE STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST'S OFFICE SHOWING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE UP-TO-DATE ON THEIR VACCINES, SO THAT MEANS FOR MOST PEOPLE WITH A BOOSTER DOSE, HAVE AROUND A 45, 46-FOLD LOWER CHANCE OF ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL WITH COVID COMPARED TO SOMEBODY WHO'S UNVACCINATED SO EVEN THE VACCINES WE HAVE ARE STILL WORKING VERY WELL TO PREVENT SEVERE DISEASE.

THEY'RE NOT WORKING AS WELL TO PREVENT INFECTION, UNFORTUNATELY, AND PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE NOT BOOSTED SO GETTING VACCINES THAT WILL PERFORM MORE EFFECTIVELY AGAINST THIS VARIANT AND FUTURE VARIANTS IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS -- IT WILL BE A DIFFICULT CYCLE IF WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET OUT OF, AS YOU SAID, CHASING THE LATEST VARIANT.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK ON NEW, MORE BROAD-BASED UNIVERSAL CORONAVIRUS VACCINES THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE ACCELERATED.

AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER STRATEGIES SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS IS ALL GOING TO PLAY OUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GET BOOSTED WITH ADDITIONAL VARIANTS, BUT WE'LL HOPEFULLY LEARN MORE FROM THESE CLINICAL TRIALS.

>> WE JUST HAVE ABOUT 90 SECONDS OR SO TO GO HERE.

I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT TREATMENT OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCARDED AND DISCOUNTED, IN PARTICULAR IVERMECTIN, HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THESE DRUGS TO TREAT COVID IN NEBRASKA.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?

>> I WOULD SAY THAT THE DATA FOR THESE TREATMENTS IS UNFORTUNATELY PRETTY SOLID NOW AND THAT THEY DON'T PROVIDE BENEFIT.

BOTH ARE DRUGS THAT ARE USED FOR OTHER DISEASES AND ARE USED RELATIVELY SAFELY.

I WOULD SAY IVERMECTIN IN GENERAL HAS A BETTER SAFETY PROFILE.

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE CAN CAUSE SOME CONDUCTION ABNORMALITIES WITH THE HEART, SO THERE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS, AND I THINK THAT USING THAT DRUG CAN BE DANGEROUS IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES.

BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAVE DRUGS THAT WE KNOW ARE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING.

REMDESIVIR IS THE MOST READILY AVAILABLE, AND WE CAN EVEN USE THAT ON OUTPATIENTS.

WE HAVE MORE LIMITED SUPPLIES OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND OTHER ANTIVIRALS THAT CAN TREAT OMICRON, BUT I WORRY THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE USING THESE OTHER THERAPIES ARE THEN MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THERAPIES THAT WE KNOW HAVE PROVEN BENEFIT.

>> DR. JAMES LAWLER.

YOU CAN CHECK OUT UNMC'S YOUTUBE PAGE WHERE DR. LAWLER RECORDS BIWEEKLY COVID UPDATES.

THANKS A LOT, DR. LAWLER, FOR BEING WITH US.

FOR THE LATEST PANDEMIC NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG/ CORONAVIRUS.

♪ >>> THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE'S ALMOST A MONTH INTO ITS 2022 SESSION, AND NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS LEGISLATIVE REPORTER FRED KNAPP HAS BEEN THERE EVERY DAY.

FRED, THIS WEEK THE SPOTLIGHT'S BEEN ON TAXES.

>> TRUE, THERE ARE TWO BIG PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED.

ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE TAXATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS.

TO BE CLEAR, NEBRASKA'S ONE OF 13 STATES THAT TAXES THOSE BUT ONLY AFTER THE FIRST $44,000 OF INCOME FOR AN INDIVIDUAL OR $59,000 FOR A COUPLE OF -- A MARRIED COUPLE FILING JOINTLY.

LAST YEAR, THEY PASSED SOMETHING THAT WOULD PHASE THAT TAXATION OUT -- 50% OF IT OUT BY FIVE YEARS.

NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PHASING IT ALL OUT IN FIVE YEARS AND THAT WOULD COST THE STATE TREASURY ABOUT $70 MILLION A YEAR.

THE OTHER ONE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS PROPERTY TAXES, OF COURSE.

THE STATE REVENUES HAVE BEEN COMING IN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, SO THIS NEW CREDIT PROGRAM THAT THEY CREATED LAST YEAR HAS MORE MONEY.

IT GETS THE MONEY THAT IS EXCESSIVE REVENUE OF PROJECTIONS.

SO, IF THEY DON'T CHANGE THE LAW, THE CREDIT, WHICH YOU GET ON YOUR INCOME TAX FOR YOUR SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES WOULD GO DOWN SO THEY'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN IT AT THE CURRENT LEVEL, AND THAT'S ANOTHER $150 MILLION A YEAR, WHICH IS FINE IF THE REVENUES KEEP COMING IN.

>> THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME TALK ON BIG SPENDING PROPOSALS, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS GOVERNOR RICKETT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE A CANAL AND TAKE THE WATER FROM THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER IN COLORADO AND BRING IT INTO NEBRASKA.

YOU'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS FOR WEEKS ALONG WITH YOUR COLLEAGUE IN THE NEWSROOM, JACKIE OURADA, AND TELL ME WHERE THAT PROJECT STANDS RIGHT NOW.

>> WELL, IT STANDS IN THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE WHERE RICKETTS HAS REQUESTED $500 MILLION.

$100 MILLION FROM ARPA - THAT'S THE FEDERAL FUNDS-- AND $400 MILLION FROM THE CASH RESERVE, AND IT'S RUNNING INTO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT COST.

IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST PROJECTS.

THE HISTORY SHOWS THAT THEY STARTED TO BUILD THIS IN 1890S, AND THEN THEY RAN OUT OF MONEY, BUT IT WAS ALLOWED FOR IN THE 1920S COMPACT BETWEEN NEBRASKA AND COLORADO.

THEY SAID THAT IF NEBRASKA BUILDS THIS CANAL, THEN THEY'RE ENTITLED TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE NON-IRRIGATION SEASON SO IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE IS GOING TO GO FOR THIS.

THE $100 MILLION VIA ARPA IS APPARENTLY PROVIDED FOR BUT SENATOR JOHN STINNER, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE SAID THE $400 MILLION FROM THE CASH RESERVE IS NOT IN HIS PRELIMINARY BUDGET.

>> ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM?

>> THEY'RE DISCUSSING THAT.

THERE'S AGREEMENT ON A BROAD RANGE OF PROPOSALS, INCLUDING STREAMLINED PAROLE AND MORE FUNDING FOR PROBATION.

THERE'S DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THINGS LIKE DISCOURAGING MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES OR MODIFYING THE -- MAKING IT A MISDEMEANOR TO POSSESS LESS THAN HALF A GRAM OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, AND ALL THIS IS LINKED TO THE PROPOSAL FOR A NEW, NOW $270 MILLION PRISON, 1500 BEDS.

SENATOR STEVE LATHROP, CHAIR OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SAYS YOU CAN BUILD THAT BUT THE SYSTEM WILL STILL BE OVERCROWDED IF YOU DON'T ALSO REFORM SOME OF THESE LAWS.

>> ALL RIGHT, FRED KNAPP, THANKS FOR KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE LEGISLATURE FOR US.

AND, FRED, DOES THAT.

HE KEEPS US INFORMED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING EVERY DAY.

YOU CAN LISTEN FOR HIS RADIO UPDATES AT 5:45 AND 7:45 WEEKDAY MORNINGS AND 5:45 IN THE EVENING ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA AND READ HIS STORIES EACH DAY ON OUR WEBSITE AT NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG/ NEWS.

♪ >>> THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

THANKS TO BRYAN SLONE, JENNIFER RYAN, HANK ROBINSON, AND DR. JAMES LAWLER FOR JOINING US, AND THANKS TO FRED KNAPP FOR HIS REPORTING.

NEXT WEEK, JOIN US FOR A CONVERSATION WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TOM VILSACK ABOUT AGRICULTURAL ISSUES IN NEBRASKA, AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND THE WORLD.

I'M DENNIS KELLOGG, THANKS FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

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