Nevada jobless rate dips

Friday, July 16, 1999 | 11:18 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada in June dipped to 4 percent, which is below both the national and California rates.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today Nevada was three-tenths of 1 percentage point lower than the national rate and 1.3 points below California.

Department Director Carol Jackson said, "Nevada's economic indicators during June continue to reflect a stable economy. New and expanding businesses continue to infuse our labor market with employment opportunities."

Total employment in the state rose to 962,800, an increase of 3.7 percent from June of last year. The only sector of the economy that showed a decrease was mining, where employment dipped 5.1 percent because of the slump in gold prices.

While the state's rate dropped, unemployment rose in the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area to 4.7 percent from 4.2 percent in May. There were an estimated 34,600 people out of work in the area that includes Clark and Nye counties in Nevada and Mohave County in Arizona.

Employment in the Las Vegas area reached 692,700, up 4.7 percent from a year ago.

The department reported Washoe County posted a 3.5 percent jobless rate, the same as in May with 6,400 people jobless. Employment stood at 187,000, up 2 percent compared to June 1998.

The Carson City area, which includes the city and Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties, remained at 5 percent, the same as in May with 2,840 people out of work. The department said total employment in the Carson City area was 53,600, up 2.7 percent from last year.

The jobless rate in Elko and Eureka counties inched down to 4.9 percent, one-tenth of a point lower than in May. There were 1,090 unemployed in those areas.

Jackson said while metropolitan Nevada enjoys continued economic stability, rural towns with ties to mining continue in a downward spiral. The most recent blow came with the announced plan to close BHP's Robinson copper, silver and gold mine near Ely and the layoff of 443 of the 493 employees.

This closure, she said, of White Pine County's largest employer and one of the nation's largest open pit copper mine pushes the number of Nevada mining industry employees who have lost their jobs over the past two years to more than 2,000 people. With the layoffs yet to hit, the county posted a second quarter jobless rate of 3.5 percent, down from 7.4 percent a year ago.

Second quarter average unemployment in rural Nevada ranged from a high of 9.8 percent in Esmeralda County to a low of 3.2 percent in Pershing County.

Statewide employment in the services industries, which include hotels, gaming and recreation, rose to 411,600, up 4.5 percent in the year-to-year comparison. Jobs in construction rose to 88,000, up two-tenths of a percent. Manufacturing was up 1.2 percent to 42,800.

Trade employment statewide reached 198,000, up 4.6 percent and government was up 4 percent to 114,600 jobs.

In the Las Vegas area, employment in the service industries climbed 6.2 percent in the year-to-year comparison with 310,700 jobs; construction fell 0.6 percent to 69,600 jobs; manufacturing was up 2.2 percent to 23,000 employed; trade rose 4 percent to 143,600 and government jobs increased 6.4 percent to 73,000.