First-time jobless claims up slightly in December

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | 2:24 p.m.

CARSON CITY — The number of Nevadans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits ticked up 1.1 percent last month compared to December 2013.

A total of 18,222 people filed claims for the first time last month, according to the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The number is not representative of the unemployment rate, which will be released Tuesday.

First-time claims tend to increase during the fall and winter and drop in the spring and summer, officials said.

The agency reported that initial monthly claims for all of 2014 averaged 14,603, down from 15,855 in 2013.