State jobless rate at all-time high

Nevada's jobless rate hit a record

12 percent in June, up eight-tenths of a percent from the previous record set in May. That is the highest the rate since the state began keeping records in 1976.

As a result, the state Employment Security Division is writing $37 million worth of unemployment checks a week.

Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Mae Worthey said the balance in the Employment Security Trust Fund has fallen from some $600 million at the beginning of the year to $239 million this week.

Worthey said the division expects that fund will be depleted in 15 to 20 weeks, forcing the state to begin borrowing money from the federal government in order to pay benefits to those out of work.

A number of other states have already begun borrowing to continue unemployment benefits.

For the second month in a row, Carson City's rate was lower than the state rate. Nonetheless, unemployment rose in Carson City from 10.7 percent to 11.5 percent in June. The number of workers with jobs in Carson City actually held steady at 26,600 from May to June. According to data released Friday, the total labor force in the Capital increased by about 300 over that period, resulting in an increase in the unemployment percentage.

Bill Anderson, economist for DETR, said the state unemployment rate translates to 169,800 Nevadans looking for work. The state includes only those with jobs and those looking for work in the total workforce numbers.

Worthey said retirees, stay-at-home housewives, the homeless and students not seeking a job aren't counted in the total, which means the actual percentage of Nevadans without jobs is higher than 12 percent.

June's unemployment numbers were pushed upward by the 124,900 people out of work in the Las Vegas area - which translates to 12.3 percent.

Reno-Sparks reported an 11.8 percent rate with 26,600 seeking work.

Elko, along with several of the state's rural counties, was much better off. Elko, still buoyed by the mining boom, reported 6.6 percent unemployment. In addition to Elko County, Eureka and Lander were below 7 percent for the month.

Churchill County was at 8.8 percent unemployment - about 1,220 of the 13,940 workers there.

Lyon County continued to have the worst unemployment in the state at 15.2 percent. Of that county's 24,730 workers, 3,760 are out of work.

Douglas County matched the overall state rate - 12 percent with 2,860 of the 23,880 workforce seeking jobs.

Anderson said the economic downturn is affecting male workers more dramatically than women. He said over the past 12 months, 9.2 percent of men were unemployed compared to 7.6 percent of women.

He said the explanation is the huge loss of jobs in construction - traditionally a male-dominated industry. On the other hand, health care is one of just two industries with positive job growth and, Anderson said, that industry is female dominated.

The other industry with positive job growth is mining.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.