Nevada leads US in unemployment, job growth in September
Nevada’s labor market is on a stubborn streak of having the highest unemployment rate in the nation while also continuing to lead the country in job growth.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Nevada for September was 5.4 percent, according to the monthly labor market report from the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. The state’s labor force grew by 8,000 people — the ninth straight month that the state has seen an increase in its labor force.
The labor force is also the largest its ever been, according to DETR. There were 1.6 million people working or looking for work in September.
“Our employment growth remains strong, and our unemployment rate held steady despite a rise in the labor force participation rate,” David Schmidt, DETR’s chief economist, said in a Thursday news release. “Overall, this report points to stable, ongoing growth in Nevada’s labor market.”
The number of jobs also increased in September, according to the report. Total non-farm employment in the state increased by about 7,000, with gains in the professional and business services, government and leisure and hospitality industries.
The national unemployment rate in September was 3.8 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continuing the same trend as previous months, Nevada had the highest unemployment rate last month but also led the nation in employment gains, increasing the number of jobs by 3.4 percent when compared to the previous year.
The Las Vegas metropolitan area added about 4,100 jobs over the month, or grew by about 0.4 percent, according to the report. That’s an increase of about 35,000 jobs, or 3.3 percent, when compared to September 2022.
In Reno, total non-farm employment grew by 2,300 jobs or 0.8 percent from a month earlier, the report states. That’s a growth of 3.4 percent when compared to September of last year. Carson City, meanwhile, added about 200 jobs from August to September, or 1,300 jobs when compared to 2022.
McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
