Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Nevada unemployment rate falls to 10.2 percent in December

CARSON CITY — Nevada’s jobless rate dropped to 10.2 percent in December, the lowest since February 2009, the state reported today.

The unemployment rate in Clark County fell to 10 percent, also the lowest in three years. It was 10.4 percent in November.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said December was the fourth straight month of declines in unemployment. But, he said, there is more work to be done. Nevada’s rate still is above the national rate of 7.8 percent.

Bill Anderson, chief economist for the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said the figures show the economy “is indeed on the mend. While improvement is slow, these are still good signs that we are heading in a positive direction.”

The average unemployment rate for 2012 was 11.6 percent, down nearly two percent from 2011. Statewide, 138,800 were unemployed.

Total employment rose to 1,220,900 in December. In the Las Vegas area, the number of employed rose from 870,000 in November to 877,400 in December.

The jobless rate in Washoe County fell from 9.9 percent in November to 9.6 percent in December, and Carson City registered a 10.1 percent rate, down from 10.3 percent in November.

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