The Nebraska Department of Labor says the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in January, matching the 3.8 percent rate in December.

The department report issued Thursday says the rate was 4.1 percent in January 2012.

Labor Commissioner Catherine Lang says that Nebraska not only has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, but saw a $31 million decrease in unemployment benefits paid from 2011 to 2012.

The state’s January rate was less than half the national rate of 7.9 percent in January.