Las Vegas unemployment rate among highest in US

Las Vegas’ jobless rate ticked higher in May and was again one of the highest in the country among large metro areas, new data shows.

The Las Vegas-area’s unemployment rate in May, 5.5 percent, was second highest among metro areas with at least 1 million people, lower than only Fresno, California, at 7.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nationally, the unemployment rate in May was 4 percent, the bureau reported last week.

Las Vegas’ jobless rate was up from 5.2 percent in April, when it was also the second highest in the nation among big metro areas and Fresno topped the list.

Southern Nevada’s casino-heavy economy is fueled by tourism, but visitor volume has slumped this year.

Around 16.5 million people visited Las Vegas this year through May, down 6.5 percent from the same five-month stretch in 2024, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data.

Barry Jonas, a casino analyst with Truist Securities, wrote in a research report last month that the Las Vegas Strip was heading for a “choppy summer” but could see a rebound in growth later this year or next year.

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342.