Interim Nebraska labor commissioner Katie Thurber outlines priorities at confirmation hearing

Katie Thurber, interim commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Labor, appeared before the Nebraska Legislature’s Business and Labor Committee and asked members to recommend her confirmation to the full Legislature, outlining priorities that include modernizing the department, aligning workforce programs with regional economic planning and expanding apprenticeship opportunities.

Thurber told the committee that "the department is primarily federally funded, with approximately 98% of the department's funding coming from the United States Department of Labor," and said that federal changes are driving the department's need for flexibility in state policy and operations.

Why it matters: The committee’s recommendation will shape who leads the agency that administers unemployment insurance and federally funded workforce programs for Nebraska. Thurber emphasized that leadership decisions affect how the state responds to shifting federal rules, how it spends federal grants and how it aligns training programs with employers’ needs.

Thurber summarized her experience and the department’s recent legislative work. She said she has worked at the agency for 13 years in roles including general counsel, acting…