November unemployment up

Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada inched up to 4.4 percent in November with an estimated 39,900 people out of work as the Christmas shopping season started.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today the November rate is slightly higher than the 4.3 percent recorded a year ago in November and is higher than the national rate of 4 percent. But it's below the 4.8 percent in California.

Total employment for the month reached 1,061,100, up 4.5 percent from a year ago. Department Director Myla Florence said, "Nevada's job growth is expected to continue into 2001, though the rate will pale in comparison to the phenomenal growth of the past few years."

She said rural Nevada will continue to struggle because of low gold prices, which has reduced mining activity.

Unemployment in the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area fell to 4.1 percent from the 4.3 percent in October. But it was slightly higher than the 4 percent of a year ago in the area that includes Clark and Nye counties and Mohave County in Arizona. There were an estimated 32,300 people out of work, down about 1,100 from October.

The department said that statewide there was increased employment in all segments in November from a year ago except mining that fell 2.7 percent to 11,000 jobs. Construction jobs grew 2.3 percent to 94,400; manufacturing was up 4.7 percent to 44,800; trade rose 6.2 percent to 223,400; the service industries, which includes casinos and hotels, posted a 4.2 percent increase to 458,100 jobs and government employment was up 4.1 percent to 127,000 jobs.

Employment in the Las Vegas area reached 774,100, up 4.6 percent from a year ago. There were 74,100 construction jobs, up 2.9 percent; manufacturing grew 3.8 percent to 24,600; transportation and public utilities employment gained 7.9 percent to 42,100; trade was up 5.7 percent to 164,800; the service industries reported employment at 348,500 up 4.3 percent and government jobs reached 83,600, up 4.9 percent.

Unemployment in Washoe County totaled 2.8 percent, the same level as in November last year but up from the 2.6 percent in October. There were an estimated 5,100 people out of work.

The department said unemployment in the Carson City labor market stood at 4.5 percent in November, the same as a year ago but higher than the 3.5 percent in October. There were an estimated 2,510 people out of work in the area that includes Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties.

Elko and Eureka counties reported unemployment at 3.9 percent, down from the 4 percent a year ago but higher than the 3.5 percent of October this year. There were an estimated 830 people out of work.

Florence said there is "positive activity" statewide with businesses expanding or new companies opening. She said a Japanese company plans to build an automotive putty and paint primer manufacturing plant in Pahrump that would hire about 100 residents. Montecito East, an $80 million, 500,000 square-foot commercial property is being developed in Clark County.

She said the Sunrise area of Las Vegas is getting its first new shopping center in several years, a 973,000 square-foot complex anchored by an Albertson's supermarket. And a new Super Wal-Mart is scheduled to open next month in Henderson, employing about 500 people.