Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 | 6:40 a.m.
Sun Coverage
CARSON CITY – Unemployment in Las Vegas increased to 14.3 percent in November with a decline in those working in construction and in hotel-casinos.
The 14.3 percent rate compares with 14.1 percent in October, but a state official says this shows a stabilizing rate and that the worst of the recession might be over.
The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported today that Nevada’s unemployment rate in November rose to 14.3 percent, up 0.1 percent from October.
Bill Anderson, chief economist for the department, said the jobless rate since June has hovered in the range of 14.2 percent. The national rate was 9.8 percent.
The department said the number of unemployed in the Las Vegas area rose to 137,000, an increase of 2,800 from October.
Construction employment in the Las Vegas area totaled 45,500, down from the 46,300 in October. The number of those working in hotel-casinos fell by 400 to a total of 152,300.
Anderson said while Nevada’s casino market has suffered in the recession, gaming has flourished across the country with 34 states having commercial or Native American casinos.
“One thing is certain: Nevada’s share of employment in the industry is on the decline due to both expansion in other states and decline in Nevada,” Anderson said.
He said since 2006, employment in Nevada’s casino gaming sector has fallen from 216,886 to 188,020 in 2009.
The department said Las Vegas employment in trade, transportation and utilities rose by 1,300 workers to 145,400. Manufacturing employment in Las Vegas remained at 19,600.
The jobless rate in the Reno-Sparks area grew from 12.8 percent in October to 13.2 percent in November. Carson City’s unemployment rate increased from 12.6 percent to 13.1 percent.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy