Unemployment rate drops statewide and in Carson

Both statewide and Carson City’s unemployment rates dropped to 7.5 percent in August.

A spokesman for the Employment Security Division said the seasonally adjusted rate also declined a tenth form July to 7.6 percent, the lowest it has been since Aug., 2008 and a decrease of 2.2 percent compared to the same month a year ago.

Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation, said the rate has now either held steady or declined in each of the past 38 months.

The largest reported decline was in the Las Vegas reporting area where the percentage of jobless fell a full half percent over the course of the month, finishing at 7.7 percent. Reno-Sparks and Carson City both saw declines of four tenths to 6.9 percent and 7.5 percent respectively.

Anderson said the statewide unemployment rate has been cut nearly in half from its recessionary high.

The steady improvement was fueled by the continuing rebound in the construction industry, which has grown nearly 13 percent over the past year, adding some 7,200 jobs. Also coming back strong is the category professional and business services, which has added 10,200 jobs over the year — a 6.8 percent growth.

Las Vegas, however, posted the only gain in total employment among the state’s major reporting areas, adding about 1,100 jobs. There are some 76,000 looking for work in that area’s labor pool of 988,300.

Reno-Sparks actually lost 300 jobs over the month but is still some 6,200 jobs up form a year ago. Reno-Sparks has a labor force of 223,000 and a total of 15,300 jobless.

Carson City’s total employment decreased by 100 compared to July but is still up about 100 over a year ago. The capital reports about 1,990 jobless in a pool of 26,470.

In both cases, the jobless rate decreased anyway because the labor force available contracted — by some 200 in Carson City and 300 in Reno-Sparks.

The Elko area has by far the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 4.7 percent. That is six tenths lower than a month earlier and records indicate the total labor force there actually grew by 200 over the month.

Churchill County is doing nearly as well with an August rate of just 6.1 percent. That translates to 770 jobless in a labor force of 12,630.

Douglas County saw a decrease of nine tenths over the month to just 7.2 percent. There are about 1,550 seeking employment in that county’s 21,440 person labor force.

Finally Lyon County’s unemployment rate dropped out of double-digits for the first time in several years in August. Some 2,140 were looking for work in a pool of 21,970 — a jobless rate of 9.7 percent.