Nevada’s unemployment rate increases slightly in November

Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999 | 11:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in the Las Vegas area fell in November but the jobless rate inched up statewide, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today.

The Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area, which includes Clark and Nye counties and Mohave County in Arizona, posted a 4.1 percent jobless rate with an estimated 30,400 people out of work. That's down two-tenths of a percentage point from October but it's a full point higher than the previous year.

The department said the statewide rate rose to 4.5 percent, up one-tenth of a point with an estimated 38,000 people out of work. Nevada's rate is four-tenths of a point higher than the national rate of 4.1 percent but is three-tenths of a point lower than California's 4.8 percent.

Department Director Carl Jackson said the figures "demonstrate Nevada's continued healthy job growth, which is significant in the urban areas, while many rural counties continue to suffer the lingering effects of reduced mining activity."

She said problems in rural Nevada "will undoubtedly continue until a sustained increase in the price of precious metals is experienced."

Total employment in the state reached 999,800 in November, a 4.9 percent increase from a year ago. The number of jobs in the service industries, which include hotels and gaming, grew 5.1 percent in the year-to-year comparison; construction jobs rose 4.1 percent; manufacturing was up 2.8 percent; transportation rose 6 percent; trade jumped 6.4 percent and government increased by 5.1 percent.

The only decline came in mining, where number of employed dropped by 9.9 percent.

The department said there were 727,200 jobs in the Las Vegas area, a gain of 6.2 percent compared to November 1998. The service industries posted a 6.4 percent increase in the number of jobs; construction was up 5.8 percent; manufacturing grew by 4.8 percent; transportation employment was up 6 percent; trade increased by 6.2 percent and government jobs in Southern Nevada were up 7.8 percent.

Unemployment in Washoe County inched up to 2.8 percent, or one-tenth of a point higher than October. There were an estimated 5,000 people out of work. Total employment reached 192,000, up 3.4 percent from a year ago.

The Carson City area, which includes Carson City and Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties, posted a 4.4 percent unemployment rate, up from 4.1 percent in October. There were an estimated 2,410 out of work. Total employment fell to 51,850, down 1.9 percent from a year ago.

Elko and Eureka counties reported a jobless rate of 4.1 percent, up one-tenth of a point from a year ago. There were an estimated 850 people jobless. Total employment dropped to 19,920, down 5.1 percent from a year ago.