Unemployment continued to decline in March, dropping three tenths from February to 8.1 percent.
The rate was just 5.1 percent in the capital and 4.6 percent in Reno. There were slight increases in the rate in several Nevada counties but a spokesman said those increases were most likely the result of seasonal fluctuations in the workforce such as holiday hiring, ski season and other jobs that have seasonal changes.
The problem area is Clark County with its heavy dependence on leisure and hospitality jobs that support the tourism industry. There the rate was 8.8 percent. In fact, Clark was the only Nevada county with a higher unemployment rate than the national average of 6.2 percent.
The lowest rate in the state was in Eureka County where just 2.3 percent of workers were looking for a job.
The ranks of the unemployed decreased by 4,238 from February through March for a current total unemployment count of 126,356.
The total labor force in Nevada is currently 1,552,901, an increase of 5,645 from February as more folks resume looking for work.
Carson City’s rate fell three-tenths from the 5.4 percent in February. There are currently 1,388 unemployed people in Carson City, 447 fewer than in March 2020 when the pandemic began. The total labor force in the capital is 27,285.
In the Reno reporting area, the number of jobless decreased 837 from February in a labor force of 270,600.
