Mayor Lambert recently highlighted his record of “bringing good jobs to Plattsmouth,” specifically naming Hy-Vee, Vireo Resources, New Age Manufacturing, Runza and other businesses.

Those businesses matter to our community, and bringing new employers to Plattsmouth is something we should continue to pursue.

But after more than two decades, I believe citizens deserve to look beyond a list of businesses and ask a larger question:

Are we creating employment opportunities that meet the needs of the people who actually live in Plattsmouth?

What the Census Data Shows

Using U.S. Census Bureau OnTheMap workforce data, I compared Plattsmouth in 2002 with the most recent available data from 2023.

2002

• 1,257 jobs were located in Plattsmouth.

• 1,994 employed people lived in Plattsmouth.

• 459 residents both lived and worked in Plattsmouth.

• 1,535 residents worked outside Plattsmouth.

• 77% of employed Plattsmouth residents worked outside the city.

2023

• 2,016 jobs were located in Plattsmouth.

• 3,399 employed people lived in Plattsmouth.

• 518 residents both lived and worked in Plattsmouth.

• 2,881 residents worked outside Plattsmouth.

• 84.8% of employed Plattsmouth residents worked outside the city.

21 Years Later

There were 759 more jobs located in Plattsmouth in 2023 than in 2002.

That's good!!

But over that same period, the number of Plattsmouth residents who both lived and worked here increased by only 59 people — from 459 to 518.

Meanwhile, the percentage of employed residents working outside Plattsmouth increased from 77% to 84.8%.

If we're successfully bringing jobs to Plattsmouth, why are an increasing percentage of our own working residents finding their employment somewhere else?

Who Are Our Jobs Serving?

The 2023 data raises another important question.

Of the 2,016 jobs located in Plattsmouth, only 518 were held by Plattsmouth residents.

The remaining 1,498 (74.3%) were held by people who live outside Plattsmouth.

I'm not implying that there is anything wrong with people commuting into our community for work. Those employees contribute to our economy, our businesses need workers, and Plattsmouth should remain welcoming to everyone who works here.

But when nearly 85% of our own employed residents are leaving Plattsmouth for employment, I believe we need to understand why.

• Are the jobs we're attracting aligned with the skills of our residents?

• Are they providing the wages and career opportunities our workforce needs?

• What industries are our residents leaving town to work in?

• And could some of those employers and industries be recruited here?

Those are the questions economic development should be answering.

What These Numbers Do, and Do Not, Tell Us

These Census numbers do not prove that only 59 jobs were created for Plattsmouth residents during the past 21 years.

Businesses open and close. Employees change jobs. People move into and out of the community.

The figures compare two snapshots in time.

What they do show is that despite substantial growth in the number of jobs located within Plattsmouth, the percentage of our employed residents who also work here has declined.

That's a trend worth understanding.

How We Can Do Better

My approach to economic development would begin with something very simple:

Understand our workforce before deciding what businesses we need to attract.

We should identify where Plattsmouth residents currently work, what industries employ them, what skills and education exist within our community, and what types of employment are causing thousands of residents to leave town every day.

Then we can pursue businesses and industries that complement the workforce we already have.

Economic development shouldn't simply be measured by how many businesses we can say we brought to town.

It should also be measured by whether we're creating opportunities for our residents to live here, work here and build their futures here.

See the Data Yourself

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD OnTheMap, Inflow/Outflow Analysis, Plattsmouth city, Nebraska, All Workers.

2002: 77.0% of employed Plattsmouth residents worked outside the city.

2010: 79.9%.

2023: 84.8%.

I encourage residents to look at the numbers themselves, ask questions, and reach their own conclusions.

This isn't about criticizing businesses that chose Plattsmouth. We need more of them. It's about asking whether, after more than two decades, we can build an economic-development strategy that creates more opportunity for the people who call Plattsmouth home.