Las Vegas Sun

May 19, 2024

Vegas, Nevada unemployment declines as economy picks up

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada fell to 5.8 percent in March, the third straight monthly decline. Gov. Kenny Guinn today said, "This positive trend portends a recovery is in progress."

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation today reported 59,900 Nevadans were jobless in March, a reduction of 6,200 from February. The 5.8 percent compares to 6.1 percent in February.

Nevada's unemployment rate was still higher than the nation's 5.7 percent but lower than the 6.4 percent in neighboring California.

The department said the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area, which includes Clark and Nye counties in Nevada and Mohave County in Arizona, registered a 5.7 percent jobless rate, 0.6 percent lower than February but 1.2 percentage points higher than a year ago. There were an estimated 47,000 people unemployed in the area, down 5,100 from February.

archive