Nevada’s jobless rate among highest in nation

Nevada’s jobless rate ticked lower last year but remains among the highest in the nation, new data shows.

The unemployment rate in Nevada was 5.2 percent in November, down from 5.8 percent a year earlier, according to seasonally adjusted figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Still, Nevada’s share of unemployed workers was tied with Oregon for fourth-highest in the country among all states and Washington, D.C., according to the bureau.

South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in November at 2.1 percent, while the nation’s capital topped the list at 6.5 percent.

Overall, the U.S. unemployment rate is 4.6 percent.

The bulk of Nevada’s population is in the Las Vegas area, which grappled last year with a slowdown in tourism, the region’s main economic engine.

Las Vegas was shedding jobs toward the end of 2025, as state officials reported Tuesday that employment in the area fell by 4,700 jobs from September to November.

Statewide, the biggest losses during that period were in leisure and hospitality and in construction, but other industries, including the trade, transportation and utilities sector, posted gains, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

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