Nevada jobless rate up

Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 | 11:02 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada in December rose to 5 percent, up from 4.6 percent the previous month -- and an estimated 50,100 people were out of work during the holiday season. But the 5 percent rate is still below the national rate of 6 percent and the 6.6 percent rate in California.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said the increase in the jobless rate underscores how fragile the state's economy is. He said higher unemployment "will create additional demands for services on the state's already strained budget."

The state today said November and December were the only months during 2002 that Nevada's unemployment rate registered an increase.

The state Employment, Training and Rehabilitation Department said the unemployment rate in the Las Vegas metropolitan area -- which includes Clark and Nye counties in Nevada and Mojave County in Arizona -- rose to 5 percent in December with an estimated 41,200 people looking for work. The rate in November was 4.8 percent with 40,200 people out of a job.

Department Director Myla Florence said "Recent announcements of several Kmart store closures in Nevada are representative of our struggling economy." She said the department's rapid response team is working with Kmart workers to find new jobs.

"The continued growth of the retail sector in both Northern and Southern Nevada should help in that effort," said Florence.

Total employment in Nevada reached 1,081,400, up 2.4 percent from a year ago.

The department said statewide construction employment totaled 93,000, or a 3.1 percent increase from a year ago, in December; manufacturing jobs rose 1.3 percent to 46,100; trade gained 2.6 percent to 233,200; hotels, gaming and recreation reported 235,900 employed in December, up 0.9 percent from a year ago and government employment rose 3.9 percent to 136,400.

In the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area, total employment rose 2.8 percent to 802,500 in December, compared with a year ago.

Construction jobs increased 3 percent to 74,600; manufacturing was up 2.8 percent to 26,100; trade rose 3 percent to 176,400; hotels, gaming and recreation posted a 1 percent gain to 187,000 and government employment increased 5.1 percent to 90,800.

The department said unemployment in Washoe County inched up from 3.7 percent in November to 3.8 percent in December with 7,000 people out of work. Total employment reached 202,600, up 2.1 percent from a year ago.