Nev. has fourth best job growth in nation

Through the third quarter of 2016, Nevada had one of the nation’s fastest job growth rates at 3.5 percent.

That rate, fourth best in the nation, was in part driven by the record total employment by Nevada businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Those businesses reported employment totaling 606,000, surpassing the 585,000 employees in small businesses in 2007.

“This is significant as Nevada was the hardest hit state during the recession with the lowest growth rate in the nation in 2009,” said economist Bill Anderson of the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

He said total non-farm jobs are also at an all time high — 1.32 million in January.

Economist Tim Wilcox of DETR said small businesses now account for more than half — 53 percent — of that jobs number. He said nearly 100,000 jobs have been added by small businesses since the recovery began.