State jobless rate 6.4 percent

About 90,500 Nevadans were out of work in June as the state's unemployment rate climbed to 6.4 percent, its highest level in more than 14 years, according to a report released Friday.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation report shows the seasonally adjusted rate was up from 6.2 percent in May. The latest rate in Nevada compares with a national rate of 5.5 percent.

Total employment statewide during June was about 1.3 million.

Carson City-area unemployment increased from 6.3 percent to 6.7 percent between May and June. Employment in the area totaled about 28,100 and unemployment totaled about 2,000.

Bill Anderson, the agency's chief economist, said that's down by about 12,100 - 6,200 of that in the Las Vegas area - from the same month a year earlier.

"Employers are being forced to adjust to a challenging business climate constrained by fuel-related inflation and lagging consumer demand," Anderson said.

"Businesses are finding it difficult to pass price increases onto customers and are struggling to maintain employment levels."

Gov. Jim Gibbons stated that businesses must be encouraged to retain workers and hire new ones, adding, "To do so we cannot put an additional tax burden on businesses that are already struggling and coping with the economic downturn through layoffs."

For the Las Vegas area, non-seasonally adjusted unemployment increased from 5.8 percent to 6.5 percent between May and June. There were about 931,400 people working in the area and the jobless total was 64,600.

The Reno area saw non-seasonally adjusted unemployment increase from 6.1 percent to 6.4 percent in the same period. Employment totaled 220,300, and about 15,100 people were out of work.

Unemployment in Elko and Eureka counties increased from 3.6 percent to 4.1 percent from month to month. There were 28,200 people working in the area during June and about 1,200 without jobs.

A month-to-month breakdown of hiring statewide by specific industries showed a decrease of 6,600 workers in government; 200 more workers in education-health services; 100 more workers in mining; and no change in manufacturing jobs.

There were 100 fewer workers in professional business services; 200 fewer in construction; and 600 more employees in casino-related leisure and hospitality hiring.

Hiring was up 200 in transportation-warehousing-utilities; unchanged in information services; and up 200 in the financial activities sector.