Nevada jobless rate steady

Monday, Oct. 20, 2003 | 11:18 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada remained steady from August to September at 5.2 percent with an estimated 56,000 people out of work -- but the rate was up from 5 percent in September 2002, the state Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation reported today.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said the figures show Nevada's economy continues to exhibit significant growth in employment. The department said there were 1.09 million people employed in September, up 2.6 percent or 27,200 jobs from a year ago.

Guinn said, "However, two key industries are lagging behind. The gaming industry, the state's biggest employer, has still not recovered the jobs lost after the terrorist attacks two years ago.

"Mining employment has stabilized, but several thousand high-wage mining jobs have been lost over the past seven years," Guinn said.

In the area of casinos, hotels and gaming, there were 207,500 people employed, up 0.5 percent.

The department said the statewide jobless figure of 5.2 percent compares to 6.1 percent in the nation and 6.4 percent in California. The agency is forecasting the unemployment rate will be an average 5.3 percent next year.

The department said the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area (Clark and Nye counties and Mohave County in Arizona) posted an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, one-tenth of a percentage point higher than September 2002. There were an estimated 46,400 people out of work. The 5.3 percent was the same as registered in August 2003.

In the statewide breakdown, construction employment reached 100,700, up 5.7 percent from a year ago; mining declined 2.9 percent to 6,600 workers; trade, transportation and utilities grew 2.3 percent to 196,400; education and health services were up 5.9 percent to 76,600 workers; leisure and hospitality, which includes the casino-hotel business, increased 1.8 percent to 305,500 workers and government employment rose to 137,000, up 2.9 percent.

The department said total employment in the Las Vegas area was up 3 percent to 820,200 workers compared to a year ago.

Construction employment in the Las Vegas area rose 6.3 percent to 82,500; manufacturing increased by 3.3 percent to 25,000; trade, transportation and utilities rose 2.2 percent to 145,800; education and health services were up 5.9 percent to 57,000; leisure and hospitality rose 2.0 percent to 244,800 and government employment increased 4.0 percent to 90,200.

In the leisure and hospitality category in Las Vegas, casino, hotels and gaming posted an employment figure of 166,100 up 1.3 percent from a year ago.

The department said unemployment in Washoe County remained at 3.9 percent, the same as it was in August and in September a year ago. There were an estimated 7,600 out of work. Total employment rose 2.3 percent to 202,600 in September.

The Carson City area that includes Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties and Carson City, registered a 5.4 percent unemployment rate, up 0.6 percent from a year ago. These were an estimated 3,20 jobless. Total employment dropped 1 percent to 58,100 compared to a year ago.

Elko and Eureka counties registered a 4.3 percent unemployment rate, down 0.1 percent from a year ago. There were an estimated 920 persons jobless in September. Total employment rose 1.7 percent to 20,390 compared to September 2002.