People call an unemployment insurance hotline at the Career Link Center in San Francisco, Friday, March 6, 2009. The government says the nation's unemployment rate bolted to 8.1 percent in February, the highest since late 1983, as cost-cutting employers slashed 651,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Nevada's unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in January, nearly 2 percent above the then national average of 7.6 percent. Carson City's jobless rate hit double digits.
Federal unemployment numbers for February show an 8.1 percent rate, so Nevada's unemployment rate is expected to rise even higher when February numbers are released next month.
The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation revised its December unemployment rate down from 9.1 percent to 8.4 percent. Economist Bill Anderson said the revision was made after reviewing new population estimates and refining the economic model the department uses.
Anderson said an increase is normal from December to January.
"This year, that increase was stronger than normal," he said.
Carson City was the worst of the four metropolitan reporting areas in the state, at 11.1 percent. The Las Vegas area rate was 10 percent, Reno-Sparks 11 percent and Elko 6.4 percent.
Anderson said the job losses in Carson City were "really widespread" despite the fact more than a third of workers are state or local government and school employees " the one stable sector.
He said the largest reduction in Carson was in the leisure and hospitality sector, with 600 fewer jobs.
"But we're seeing declines in just about every major sector across the board: Manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities, professional and business services," he said.
Currently, 96,000 Nevadans are receiving unemployment benefits, with more than 106,000 claims being filed weekly.
Eight of Nevada's counties had double-digit rates including Carson City. Highest was Lyon County with 15.1 percent out of work, followed by 13.1 percent in Nye.
The mining industry, however, kept unemployment below 7 percent in three counties: Lander, Elko and White Pine.
Statewide, Nevada employers scaled back their workforces by nearly 60,000 compared to January 2008. Construction employment is down more than 20,000 and leisure and hospitality down 19,000 over the past year.
Anderson said population growth in the Silver State has dropped sharply. Between 1997 and 2007, the population grew by 4.3 percent annually. For 2008, the population increase was just eight-tenths of a percent.
- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.