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May 12, 2025 |  By: Associated Press

City of Omaha launches brain gain initiative

A new report shows housing and transportation are key factors that can keep young professionals from leaving Nebraska for opportunities elsewhere. Better pay is also near the top of the list. To counter brain drain happening across much of the Midwest, the City of Omaha has launched a brain gain initiative, trying to keep the state's young, professional talent in the state. Omaha Chamber of Commerce Director of Workforce Development, Merrick Brtek (BURR-tek) says they conducted a survey to find out why young people are leaving.

"One of the reasons was job opportunities, they were seeking job opportunities elsewhere. Maybe they had their first career here and were looking to advance and they found an advancement role in another state.", says Brtek. 

Brtek says the city is helping young professionals understand many of the priorities they are looking for elsewhere, including those advancement opportunities, already exist in Nebraska. She adds Omaha is working to address the things that could be better, like creating more access to reliable mass transit, availability of affordable housing and high wages. She says economic development teams are shifting their focus to the younger demogaphic, too.

"We're trying to spend time working with kiddos who are a little bit younger, like college or high school students to make sure that they are aware of the opportunities tht are available not only here in Omaha, but in Nebraska to try to keep some of that talent here as well.", says Brtek. 

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Nebraska has been consistenly losing population for the last 15 years, though some larger communities are seeing growth, mostly immigrants relocating from other countries.