Jobless rate falls as Nevada economy picks up

Tuesday, March 5, 2002 | 10:38 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- For the first time since Sept. 11, Nevada's unemployment rate has dropped.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today the jobless rate for January was 6.2 percent, with an estimated 70,600 people out of work.

Since the terrorist attack, the unemployment rate has climbed from 5.5 percent in September and October to 6 percent in November to 6.9 percent in December.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said the January figures "indicate unemployment numbers have leveled out, which is a hopeful sign that the economy will begin to rebound."

The department said unemployment in the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area inched down to 6.8 percent, a drop of one-tenth of a percentage point from December. But it was 2.1 percentage points higher than a year ago. There were an estimated 55,900 people jobless in the area, which includes Clark and Nye counties and Mohave County in Arizona. Department Director Myla Florence said there is still growth in new jobs, but it is dramatically slower than in the 1990s. She said new jobs are being created at an annual rate between .4 and .6 percent.

Total employment statewide reached 1,039,300, an increase of .5 percent from January 2001.

In rural Nevada, she said, there are no signs of an immediate recovery in the mining industry.

In a breakdown of employment categories statewide, the department said hotels, gaming and recreation reported 233.600 people on the job, down 3.5 percent from a year ago.

Construction employment rose 4 percent to 86,800 this January; manufacturing fell 2.2 percent to 45,300 employees; trade grew 2.1 percent from January 2001 to 221,000 and government workers increased by 2.6 percent to 126,000.

The department reported total employment in the Las Vegas area at 771,9000, up .7 percent from a year ago.

The hotel, gaming and recreation sector registered 185,500 employees, down 3.8 percent from January 2001. Construction employment was up 3.1 percent to 69,900; manufacturing remained level at 25,300; trade grew 2.1 percent to 166,900 and government workers increased by 3.2 percent to 83,500.

Washoe County reported an unemployment rate of 5.8 percent with an estimated 10,700 people out of work. That compared with 4.3 percent in January 2001. There were 192,500 jobs, up .7 percent from a year ago.

The department said the Carson City area registered a 7.5 percent unemployment rate, compared to 5.9 percent in January 2001. There were an estimated 4,450 people out of work in the area that includes Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties and Carson City. Total employment was up 4.9 percent to 55,210 from January 2001.

Elko and Eureka Counties posted a 6.2 percent unemployment rate compared to 6.7 percent a year ago. There were an estimated 1,260 people out of work. Total employment in the two counties rose 3.1 percent to 19,030 compared to January 2001.