Nevada jobless rate at highest level in 23 years

By Cy Ryan

Published Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 | 9:39 a.m.

Updated Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 | 10:35 a.m.

CARSON CITY – The jobless rate in Clark County rose to 7.4 percent in September, the highest mark this year with 74,200 people out of work.

Unemployment in Nevada hit 7.3 percent, the highest level since November 1985. And it is the first time the number of jobless has exceeded 100,000, hitting 102,200 -- an increase of 4,800 from August.

The state doesn’t see any improvement in the future. Bill Anderson, chief economist for the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said the jobless rate will soar to 8.6 percent in next year.

A year ago in Clark County, the unemployment rate was 5.1 percent with 48,700 people out of work. But there are 932,200 employed in September, or 22,700 more than a year ago for the same month.

The department reported that jobs in construction in Clark County fell to 93,300, down 1,600 from August; hotel and casino employed dropped by 800 workers to 172,200; manufacturing was down 200 workers to 26,300 but utilities, transportation and trade was up 100 workers to 163,600.

In the state there were 102,200 jobless, an increase of 4,800 persons from August.

Anderson said, “Nevada continues to feel the economic pinch that the rest of the nation is experiencing. What was a lingering problem for consumers and commercial developers quickly became a full scale emergency as credit for doing daily business dried up.”

The number of people filing for unemployment is the highest it’s been since October 2001, the month following the September 11 attacks.

Anderson said the federal bailout should free up credit allowing commercial development to continue.

“We are all holding our breath waiting to see how much of a life line the bail-out will provide,” he said and added that it will be months before it will reflect in the unemployment rate.

“There is simply no quick fix.” he said.

In the Reno-Sparks area, the jobless rate rose to 6.9 percent, with 16,300 people jobless. It was 6.6 percent in August.

Carson City’s unemployment rate jumped to 7.3 percent from 6.8 percent in August. There were an estimated 2,200 people jobless.

Statewide construction employment in September dropped to 120,300, down 2,200 from the previous month; casino and gambling posted 209,300 people at work, a drop of 1,100; manufacturing jobs totaled 50,200, down 300 from August and trade, transportation and utilities had 236,900 in the job, up 300 workers from the previous month.

The department reported the highest unemployment rates in the state were in Lyon and Nye counties at 8.4 percent followed by Clark and Mineral counties at 7.4 percent.

The lowest rate was in Elko County at 3.8 percent as it continues to have strong mining economy.

Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687 5032 or [email protected].