State jobless rate falls

Kevin Rademacher

Friday, July 18, 2003 | 11:34 a.m.

Nevada's June unemployment rate fell to 5.3 percent -- bucking national economic trends that sent the U.S. jobless rate for the same month up to a nine-year high of 6.4 percent.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported this morning that unemployment was down two-tenths of a percentage point from the 5.5 percent recorded in June 2002. The June rate was also down slightly from the 5.4 percent reported in May.

Despite falling unemployment, Gov. Kenny Guinn said he was concerned about the weak 1.6 percent increase in Nevada's jobs count over the past 12 months.

"If new residents of Nevada cannot find work, the economic condition of the state and the pressure on the state's social services providers will worsen," he said.

The state figures indicated a drop in total employment of 5,000 workers between June 2002 and June 2003, but department spokeswoman Karren Rhodes said the figure reflects a statistical glitch. The total, she said, is compiled through a survey, not a head count, allowing for some measure of error.

The survey showed 1.062 million people employed in June.

The Las Vegas-area unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in June, better than the 6 percent reported in the same 2002 month.

Las Vegas saw an increase from June 2002 of nearly 2,000 leisure and hospitality jobs, 2,200 jobs in education and health services and 3,000 construction jobs, the state reported.

Statewide, 10 Nevada counties posted higher year-over-year unemployment rates, the report said.

"All of the state's major labor markets saw an increase in size of the labor force in June as students and recent graduates began looking for jobs," said Myla Florence, director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. "The resulting increase in local unemployment rates is typical this time of year."