The Greater Omaha Chamber released its 2025 Annual Report this week and unveiled the findings of two major new reports: the Brain Drain and Perception Study and the Future Ready Workforce Study, conducted in partnership with Lightcast and DCI.
Together, the findings underscore a defining reality for the region’s next decade: talent is the central economic challenge and opportunity facing greater Omaha, the chamber said in a press release.
The Annual Report highlights a year of significant momentum and execution under the chamber’s “A Greater Omaha” economic development strategy, which was introduced at last year’s annual meeting as a bold roadmap to modernize the region’s economy and strengthen competitiveness.
“Over the past year, we have moved from vision to action, building partnerships, advancing key priorities, and laying the foundation for Greater Omaha’s next era of growth,” said Heath Mello, president & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “Our annual report reflects a region that is dreaming big and taking the steps to get there. We are investing in the future, aligning around what the modern economy demands, and ensuring greater Omaha is competing for jobs, talent, and opportunity.”
The chamber’s “Omaha Brain Drain and Perception Study” examines the region’s demographic headwinds, migration trends and national perceptions among working-age talent.
The study finds that Omaha remains highly competitive among peer metropolitan areas, with major strengths in affordability, livability and quality of life — but faces growing risk if it cannot retain and attract young professionals.
“This is a pivotal moment for Omaha. The battle for talent is only going to intensify as America’s population and labor force grow older and smaller,” said Josh Wright of Lightcast. “Omaha is highly competitive with its peer markets, with strong livability and affordability, but its growth is at risk of stalling out if the region is unable to retain and attract young talent. I’m excited to share the findings of our brain drain and perception study and discuss recommendations for how Omaha can stake its claim as a bustling talent hub.”
The report emphasizes that Omaha’s greatest barrier is not performance, but perception, and calls for targeted, data-driven strategies to strengthen awareness, identity and long-term career opportunity messaging.
The chamber also worked with Lightcast to conduct a “Future Ready Workforce” study, which looked at employment changes in the top five employment clusters in the greater Omaha region.
This report shows both significant declines and increases in several employment categories. Also highlighted are the changes in skill requirements in these employment clusters, showing a rapid increase in higher tech roles including those driven by AI and automation. These findings will aid the Greater Omaha Chamber in its company expansion and recruitment work, as well as work with the education and workforce partners to align training and credentialling with growth in new skills.
At the chamber’s annual meeting this week, Mello was joined on stage by Omaha Mayor John Ewing to announce a brain gain initiative — a new shared commitment between the chamber and the City of Omaha to drive sustained net talent growth over the next decade.
“As we close today, I want to leave you with something that this analysis makes very clear: talent is the defining economic issue of the next decade,” Mello said. “Omaha is strong. We compete well on livability, affordability, and quality of life. But this study confirms what employers are telling us every day — our momentum is constrained by talent loss, especially among young, college-educated adults. Now, we have reached the moment where we start building the solution.”
Ewing emphasized that Brain Gain Omaha will be a coordinated community movement — not a standalone initiative — bringing together employers, education partners, workforce organizations and civic leadership around one goal: keeping and attracting the region’s best people.
“We are pleased to announce the City of Omaha and the Greater Omaha Chamber are launching a brain gain initiative — a shared commitment to grow talent, jobs, and opportunity across our city,” Ewing said. “This is a coordinated movement, with accountability, data and real action behind it. In the weeks ahead, we will be calling on our community build this effort together, because the cities that win will be the places that keep their best people.”
Brain Gain Omaha will be led by a task force co-chaired by the mayor’s office, the chamber and private-sector leadership.
Photo above by Brad Williams
