Category

Strengths (S)

Weaknesses (W)

Opportunities (O)

Threats (T)

Ease of Doing Business

Favorable Cost Environment: Omaha and other major cities boast a relatively low cost of doing business and a low cost of living compared to peer cities. Competitive Cities: Omaha (Rank 34) and Lincoln (Rank 50) have moderately competitive "Ease of Doing Business" rankings among major US cities.

Moderate Overall Ranking: While cities are competitive, the overall state ranking is not in the top tier nationally, suggesting potential room for bureaucratic or regulatory streamlining.

Targeted Incentives: Leveraging the low-cost environment and strong research institutions (Nebraska Research Initiative) to specifically recruit businesses in target industry clusters.

Slower Growth Forecast: High interest rates are expected to slow overall state economic growth and business investment in 2024 and 2025, increasing the risk of recession.

Domestic Manufacturing

Strong Food Processing/Nondurable Goods: Anchored by the Meat, Beef & Poultry Processing industry (the largest by revenue) and strong nondurable goods manufacturing, providing stability. Significant GDP Contributor: Manufacturing is a major sector, contributing a large share to the state's GDP (approx. $18.6 billion in 2025).

Vulnerability to Farm Sector: Manufacturing is highly coupled with the agriculture sector, which has faced recent declines in real GDP (e.g., Q1 2025), impacting the broader manufacturing base.

Biofuels/Ag-Tech Integration: Opportunity to grow advanced manufacturing related to sustainable agriculture, such as new technologies for high-yield farming or processing of bio-based products (e.g., BioLNG, Biodiesel).

Workforce Shortages: Slow growth in the labor force makes it difficult to add labor in modest-wage industries, potentially constraining growth in key manufacturing sectors.

Sustainability Initiatives

Proactive Energy Goals: Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) has a public goal of achieving "net zero" carbon emissions from its generation resources by 2050, guiding future resource planning. Focus on Electrification: Encouragement of the continued electrification of transportation, industry, and residential heating to create a more sustainable grid.

Heavy Agricultural Footprint: The dominant agricultural and livestock industries present significant challenges for meeting environmental targets related to water quality, land use, and methane emissions.

Green Energy Development: Utilizing its rural footprint for large-scale renewable energy projects (e.g., wind, solar) to maintain low utility rates and attract businesses with sustainability mandates.

Economic Cost of Transition: Balancing the goal of net-zero carbon with the strategic plan to maintain total retail base rates among the lowest 15% of providers in the US.

Balance of Trade

Agricultural Export Leader: Ranks 5th in the nation for agricultural exports, leading the US in beef exports and ranking highly for corn and soybeans (totaling $7.9 billion in 2023). Targeted Trade Missions: Actively pursuing new markets via official trade and investment missions (e.g., Egypt in 2025).

Trade Deficit: The state typically runs a trade deficit (e.g., −$133 million in July 2025), driven by significant imports of computer and pharmaceutical-related goods.

Global Food Security Role: Leveraging its dominance in beef, corn, and soybeans to position itself as a key supplier in the context of growing global food security concerns, especially in developing markets.

Vulnerability to Geopolitics: Trade policy uncertainty and disputes severely affect the agricultural sector, where export prices and market access can be instantly damaged by retaliatory tariffs.