Unemployment rate in Las Vegas sees drop in April

By Cy Ryan

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 | 11:32 p.m.

Unemployment in the Las Vegas area inched down to 7.1 percent in April, with an estimated 73,600 out of work.

Several sectors including construction, trade and hospitality added more jobs in April than they did in March.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported Tuesday that April’s unemployment rate in Las Vegas fell one-tenth of a percent from March.

The department released a statewide breakdown showing Mineral County had the highest jobless rate at 11.6 percent and Lyon County at 10.2 percent. Esmeralda County had the lowest rate in the state at 5 percent.

Washoe County’s rate dropped from 6.9 percent in March to 6.7 percent in April. Carson City’s rate fell from 7.8 percent in March to 7.7 percent in April.

Department Economist Bill Anderson said the Las Vegas and Reno areas added more jobs than expected.

“With more people joining the labor force, the unemployment rate is not experiencing the decline we hoped for. However, this suggests more people are confident in the labor market and are looking for work," he said.

In the Las Vegas area, total employment grew from 897,600 to 907,000. Construction grew 1,600 jobs to 51,200; resorts posted 165,800 on the job, a gain of 700 from the previous month and trade increased by 1,000 to 163,900.