While unemployment numbers have come down substantially across most of Nevada, Clark County remains the problem because of the Las Vegas area’s heavy reliance on leisure and hospitality jobs.
The jobless rate is below 5 percent in 11 of Nevada’s 17 counties. But Clark County was 9.9 percent as of January’s end. The only other county above 6 percent is Lyon at 6.6.
As a result, the statewide unemployment rate was a seasonally adjusted 8.5 percent compared to 6.3 percent for the nation as a whole. That means 130,563 Nevadans were jobless in a labor force of 1.54 million.
Carson City was at 5.6 percent unemployment with 1,505 seeking work in a pool of 26,767. Carson added 1,976 to the work force during January.
Douglas was just a bit better at 5.5 percent with 22,706 workers and 1,250 out of work.
Washoe County was at 4.9 percent — 12,887 seeking a job in a pool of 265,191.
The lowest jobless rates were reported by Eureka County at 3.1 percent and White Pine at 3.2 percent. Churchill was at 3.7 percent as were Humboldt, Elko and Pershing counties.
