Las Vegas’ unemployment rate still tops other big metro areas

Las Vegas’ unemployment rate was highest in the nation among big metro areas in October, new data shows, underscoring the pandemic’s continued devastating effect on the local economy.

An estimated 13.8 percent of the Las Vegas area’s workforce was unemployed in October, highest among the 51 metro areas with at least 1 million people, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

New Orleans had the second-highest jobless rate, at 11.3 percent, and Salt Lake City had the lowest, at 4.1 percent, according to the bureau.

The coronavirus pandemic has kept people home and away from crowds for fear of getting infected, devasting the tourism industry, the bedrock of Southern Nevada’s casino-heavy economy.

Around 1.9 million people Visited Las Vegas in October, up 9 percent from September but down 49.4 percent from October of 2019, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported.

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.