Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Nevada unemployment at its lowest since 2008

CARSON CITY — Nevada’s unemployment rate dipped to 9.5 percent in May, the lowest it’s been this year and the lowest since 2008.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today that 131,400 persons were out of work, down 1,000 from April. The state’s unemployment rate in April was 9.6 percent.

The jobless rate in the Las Vegas area fell to 9.3 percent, down from the 9.6 percent in April. In the Las Vegas area, there were 900,000 people working, up 1,300 from the previous month.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said there are 25,000 more people working in Nevada compared to the same period of a year ago. He said efforts must continue to diversify the economy and create more jobs in the private sector.

Bill Anderson, chief economist for the department, said, “The fact that our labor force is growing and the ranks of the unemployed are shrinking is a good indicator that Nevada is gaining momentum.”

But Nevada’s 9.5 percent jobless rate remains higher than the national rate of 7.6 percent.

Anderson also noted that the number of part-time jobs is still high.

In Washoe County, unemployment dropped from 9.7 percent in April to 9.2 percent in May. Carson City had a rate of 9.5 percent, the first time unemployment has been below double digits since 2008.

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