Business briefs for March 28, 2005

Monday, March 28, 2005 | 10:54 a.m.

Unemployment stays constant

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's unemployment rate remained constant in February at 3.9 percent, but businesses added 9,600 jobs, many of them the construction industry.

The state Employment, Training & Rehabilitation reported today there were an estimated 50,000 people out of work statewide, or 3,000 fewer than in January. The agency said Nevada's jobless rate is 1.5 percentage points lower than the national rate.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said, "Nevada's unemployment rate remains low, and the state's 6.8 percent job growth (over the year) makes our the most vibrant economy in the nation."

He said the state's job growth is more than three times that of the national average job growth of 1.8 percent.

Birgit Baker, director of the department, said the construction industry regained jobs that were lost because of poor weather in January. "Construction remains the key component of the state's economic boom, producing 20,000 new jobs in the past year," Baker said. There were 2,600 more jobs in construction in February than in January.

The department said Clark County's unemployment rate fell from 4.2 percent in January to 4 percent in February with an estimated 33,300 people out of work. Total employment in Clark County reached 841,600, or 6,500 more jobs than in January.

Total employment statewide reached 1,183,600 in February or 75,300 more than in the same month of a year ago. Employment in casinos hotels and gaming reached 207,400, up 2.5 percent; construction jobs rose to 125,200, a gain of 19 percent from a year ago; manufacturing jobs totaled 46,600, up 4.5 percent compared with February 2004 and retail trade had 125,600 jobs, up 4.3 percent.

New parking rates take effect Tuesday

Parking rates will change at McCarran International Airport Tuesday, airport officials announced.

Long-term garage parking will climb from $10 to $12 a day. The hourly rate for the garage is $3 for the first hour and $1 for each additional hour to the maximum $12.

Meanwhile, the airport plans to reduce the rate at its outlying lot -- recently renamed Economy Parking. Rates at the uncovered lot on Russell Road between Paradise Road and Maryland Parkway, east of the garage are $6 a day, with the initial hour costing $3, then $1 an hour up to the maximum $6.

Shuttle buses will transport passengers between the terminal and five color-coded stops in the 4,100-space lot every 15 minutes.

The rate for short-term metered parking will remain at $1.50 an hour in increments of 25 cents per 10 minutes, up to $4.50 for three hours. The rate for Terminal 2 parking is $1 for the first hour and $1 for each additional hour, up to $8 a day.

Toyota, Nissan, Honda boost vehicle production in February

Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co., Japan's three largest carmakers, boosted production last month to meet growing demand for their vehicles in North America, Western Europe and Asia.

Toyota increased global production 12 percent to 603,629 vehicles in February, the company said in a release today. Nissan's production rose 11 percent to 316,404 vehicles, while Honda built 280,536 vehicles, 11 percent more than a year earlier.

The three carmakers are building new factories overseas or expanding existing plants to meet demand for their models. Toyota already has five assembly plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and next year will open the sixth plant in Texas. Honda is building its new Ridgeline pickup truck in Ontario, Canada and Nissan is boosting domestic sales.