(AP) — Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August remained unchanged from July at 4.2 percent.

The Nebraska Labor Department said in a report released Friday that the August rate was two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the 4 percent in August 2012.

The Nebraska rate continues to come in well under the national rate, which was 7.3 percent for August.

In Omaha, the preliminary unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent from 4.6 percent in July, while the rate a year ago was 4.4 percent. Lincoln’s August rate was 3.3 percent, seven-tenths of a point lower than July’s 4 percent and below the 3.4 percent August rate a year ago.

The unemployment rates for Lincoln and Omaha are not seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared to the state unemployment rate.