Nevada unemployment falls to 9.6 percent in April

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, May 16, 2013 | 4:17 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Nevada’s unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in April as the economic recovery gains momentum.

There were an estimated 2,400 more people employed last month compared to March.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said today that the jobless rate in Clark County dipped to 9.6 percent, its lowest in 29 months. It was 9.8 percent in March.

Statewide, the department reported, 132,400 people were out of work, down 500 from March, when the rate was 9.7 percent. Total employment rose to 1,243,800.

But Nevada’s unemployment rate still trails the national rate of 7.5 percent.

Department economist Bill Anderson said that in a year-to-year comparison, “Nevada is seeing advances in nearly all industries.”

In the Las Vegas area, total employment jumped to 898,700, or 3,400 more people on the job than in March. There were an estimated 132,400 people out of work, 2,200 less than in March.

The jobless rate in Washoe County dipped to 9.7 percent, down from 10 percent in March. Carson City’s rate dropped to 10.1 percent, compared to 10.6 percent in March.

“Even with improvements in nearly all corners of the economy, Nevada still has the largest ratio of underwater homes of any state in the nation, the highest labor market underutilizations rates and, thus far, the percent of jobs recovered pales in comparison to other regions in the country,” Anderson said.