Small business index increases

Nevada State Bank said its Small Business Index for Nevada increased slightly to 97.6 during April. The index uses 100 for 1997 as a base.

The bank said the index was affected by an increase in the Nevada unemployment rate to 3.7 percent from the prior month's 3.4 percent, indicating slightly more favorable hiring conditions for employers.

But the index was negatively affected by slowing job growth in Nevada. The latest 12-month increase in employment of 43,500 jobs is down from 47,900 jobs created in the year-earlier period.

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