Nevada unemployment lowest in more than 5 years

By Cy Ryan

Friday, May 16, 2014 | 8:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY — Nevada’s unemployment rate fell to 8 percent in April, the lowest it’s been since October 2008, when unemployment was at 7.6 percent.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said today the rate dropped a half percent from March, the largest single-month drop since 1983.

Statewide, there were an estimated 110,000 people out of work compared to 117,300 in March.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said the state has experienced “broad-base growth across nearly all industries, and we have added jobs for nine straight months.”

“My focus will remain on growing jobs in our state until every Nevadan that wants a job has one,” he said.

The 8 percent unemployment rate in April is down from 10.1 percent in the same month a year ago.

The national rate is 6.3 percent.

Unemployment in the Las Vegas area fell from 8.7 percent in March to 7.4 percent in April. Las Vegas typically has a higher unemployment rate than the state average, but it was .06 percent lower in April.

The department said unemployment in Washoe County dipped from 8.7 percent in March to 7 percent in April. Carson City dropped from 9.8 percent in March to 7.8 percent in April.

There were some soft spots in rural Nevada.

Lyon County posted a 10.4 percent jobless rate; Mineral County was at 9.8 percent; and Lincoln registered a 9.7 percent jobless rate.