Nevada unemployment rate steady at 3.8 percent

Friday, May 19, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada held steady at 3.8 percent in April, lower than both the national and California rates.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today there was no change in Nevada from March but the jobless rate was one-tenth of 1 percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.9 percent -- a 30-year low -- and a full point lower than California's 4.8 percent.

Department Director Carol Jackson said, "When it comes to unemployment statistics, today's news of no change is excellent. Nevada's low unemployment coupled with the coming summer season paints a rosy employment picture."

There were an estimated 36,600 people out of work last month. The department reported there were 1.01 million people employed, up 3.6 percent from the same month of the previous year.

The jobless rate in the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area (Clark and Nye counties and Mohave County in Arizona) inched up to 3.8 percent, up two-tenths of a point from March. There were an estimated 28,700 people jobless. Employment reached 736,100 for April, up 4.1 percent from a year ago.

The department reported every industry statewide, except mining, showed gains in employment in the year-to-year comparison. Hotels, gaming and recreation accounted for 243,700 jobs, up 4.1 percent from April 1999. Construction jobs inched up 1.5 percent to 89,800, manufacturing was up 2.6 percent to 43,000, trade grew 4.7 percent to 206,300 employed, transportation and public utilities jumped 5.9 percent to 53,800 and the number of government workers rose 2.7 percent to 123,000 in April.

Employment in mining declined 8.1 percent to 11,300 jobs statewide as that industry continues to experience problems with gold prices.

In the Las Vegas area, hotels, gaming and recreation accounted for 192,400 jobs, up 4.7 percent from a year ago, construction inched up 0.7 percent to 71,000, manufacturing was up 2.6 percent to 23,900 employed, trade jumped by 4.8 percent to 153,000 workers and government employment was up 4.5 percent with 79,600 workers. The mining industry reported a 5.3 percent decline to 1,800 workers in Southern Nevada.

The department said Washoe County's unemployment remained at 2.9 percent in April with 5,100 workers out of a job.