Nevada jobless rate stays below national average

The state rate is slightly below the national unemployment rate of 4.5 percent and far below California's 5.8 percent rate.

In the last year, 33,900 additional people have found jobs in Nevada, for a 3.9 percent annual job growth rate.

But a year ago in August, the state's unemployment was just 3.9 percent, the lowest in 20 years.

This August in Nevada, 893,900 people were working, while 39,500 were out of work.

In the last year, 10,500 more people found jobs in service industries, while construction added 8,200 jobs, and trade businesses added 7,300 jobs. Government, including schools, put 7,200 additional people to work in the last year.

The largest single employer, the gaming and hotel industry, in August employed 222,200 people, or about 25 percent of the total Nevada work force. Gaming and hotel companies have added 2,300 jobs in the last year.

The unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in August in the Las Vegas metropolitan areas, up from a 4.1 percent rate in August 1997.

Las Vegas area companies employed 677,100 workers in August, while 30,400 people were unemployed.

The Reno area unemployment rate was only 3.4 percent in August, the same as last year. Reno area companies had 171,400 people on their payrolls, while 6,000 people were out of work.

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