Nevada unemployment rate dipped slightly last month

Nevada’s unemployment rate fell a bit from August to September, state officials announced Thursday.

The unemployment rate dipped to 7.5 percent last month — down from the nation-leading 7.7 percent rate in both August and July, said David Schmidt, chief economist at the state’s employment department. Schmidt said Nevada’s rate probably will remain one of the highest in the country when the U.S. Department of Labor releases unemployment data for all 50 states on Friday.

The month-over-month decrease reflects, in part, the people who’ve left the labor force, Schmidt said. A labor participation rate decrease is typical in a post-recession recovery, he added.

“This report shows a slower pace of growth in the labor market compared to what we have seen earlier this year,” Schmidt said in a Thursday release. “Job gains month-to-month peaked in June and have slowed each month from July to September, moving toward a more typical pace of employment growth.”

Nevada added 4,400 jobs in the month of September to bring the state’s total employment level to 1,349,300, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. There were 84,100 more people employed last month than there were in September 2020.

The Las Vegas area added 2,400 jobs last month and has gained 69,300 jobs since September last year. Reno gained 800 jobs in September and has added 11,600 since September 2020, while Carson City lost 100 jobs last month and has grown by 500 jobs in the past 12 months.

Leisure and hospitality jobs increased by 2,700 from August, though the industry continues to be one of the state’s most impacted during the recovery. Professional and business services lost jobs for the first time this year, about 1,500 fewer than in August.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.