Nebraska’s entertainment industry hits new highs, but hospitality industry still struggles

LINCOLN, Nebraska (KLKN) – The entertainment industry in Nebraska has boomed over the past few months, filling more job openings than ever before, according to experts.

“The entertainment industry has experienced incredible growth over the past decade,” said Matthew Bolling, associate director of the Lied Center for the Performing Arts. “Certainly not during a pandemic, but you know from Lied Center and launched our Broadway series.”

Data back to 2005 Nebraska Department of Labor Indicates that employment in the leisure and hospitality industry has grown to unprecedented levels.

In March, the state had more than 97,000 job openings.

That growth has already been seen here in Lincoln, the Lieder Center said.

In fact, it’s one of the main reasons more shows are happening in town.

Last season, Lied saw its highest attendance levels in more than 30 years of operation, Mr Boring said.

“When we can bring bigger productions, that drives ticket sales,” he said. “In the same way, having the support of the audience and getting Nebraskans to come to the Lieder Center, if they haven’t been in a while, is what attracts those top shows.”

But experts say the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Some parts of the industry — such as restaurants and hotels — are “really hurting,” Zoe Olson said.

Olson, executive director of the Nebraska Hospitality Association, heard there are still about 80,000 job vacancies statewide.

“When they put all these categories together, the numbers skewed,” Olson said. “Your leisure industry, your tourism industry, will be more seasonal jobs. These are people who only want to work in a certain season, not people who are looking for work year-round.”

With a shortage of workers, employers are using creative ways to make up the difference, Olson said.

“If you don’t need to during your stay, you may never see hotel staff,” Olson said. “If you think about checking in, you can check in with your phone in a lot of places now. You don’t have to go to the front desk; on the table.”

Olson said the industry was still trying to adjust to the “new normal”.

“COVID has really impacted how we look at our lives, what we need, what we want, and how we look at those things,” Olson said.