Nebraska’s quandary: Can it force more citizens to work?

By GRANT SCHULTE
Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has held one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates for years, with fewer than two million people and plenty of jobs to go around. That rate has hit new lows thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, with the state announcing the lowest-ever recorded unemployment of 1.8% in November. Now Gov. Pete Ricketts, who frequently expounds on the value of work, is confronting an intriguing question: Can a governor nudge the few citizens who are unemployed back to work, even if they apparently aren’t eager or able to do so? Ricketts has taken steps to prod people to work, although in some cases, the unemployed are caring for relatives or concerned about the pandemic.