Nevada’s jobless rate ticked lower last month

Nevada’s jobless rate ticked lower last month, but as tourism struggles to regain its footing during the pandemic, unemployment here remains far above the national average, a new report shows.

An estimated 12 percent of Nevada’s workforce was unemployed in October, down from 12.5 percent in September, according to the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Nevada gained 3,600 jobs in that time, led by 2,300 in construction, the department reported.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 6.9 percent last month.

In casino-heavy Las Vegas, which comprises the bulk of Nevada’s population, tourism has regained momentum but overall has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has kept people home and away from crowds for fear of getting infected.

The outbreak has rapidly worsened again lately, raising fears of another wave of forced business closures.

DETR director Elisa Cafferata said in a news release that she is “encouraged to see that employment continues to grow” but noted that it is “important that all Nevadans help reduce the spread of COVID so businesses can bring jobs back.”

Nevada recouped jobs “at a moderate pace again” in October, and its unemployment rate has improved for six consecutive months since hitting a record-high of 30 percent in April, DETR chief economist David Schmidt said in the release.

Still, he noted that the jobless rate is more than three times larger than it was in February — the month before Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered casinos and other businesses closed to help contain the virus’ spread — and that Nevada “remains one of the states most impacted by the COVID pandemic.”

Resorts and other businesses have since reopened, putting waves of Nevadans back to work. The state’s economic outlook, however, depends “on the response to COVID- 19,” including treatments, policies, and “public compliance with measures to slow the spread of the disease,” Schmidt said.

The governor said Wednesday he would announce new measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Nevada “very soon.”

“To be blunt, our state is surging and continues to surge,” Sisolak said. “I’m incredibly concerned about the severity of COVID-19 in our state.”

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