Nevada added 6,300 jobs in February as the leisure and hospitality sector continued to recover.
More than half the jobs, 3,400, were in the hard-hit sector that supports Nevada’s tourism and gambling industry.
As of the end of February, total employment in the Silver State was 1.343 million and the unemployment rate down a tenth to 5.1 percent over the month.
Gov. Steve Sisolak said it was great to see the gains in Nevada’s hardest hit industry.
Employment Security officials say there were just 1,736 initial claims for unemployment benefits in the past week and only 15,392 continuing claims.
But the total number of people still listed as unemployed was 77,052.
When seasonally adjusted numbers are used, employment in the Las Vegas Metro area increased by 7,600 and by 300 in the Reno-Sparks area.
Carson City added 100 jobs over the month finishing January with 24,405 employed and 889 out of work — a rate of 3.5 percent.
Washoe County reported 7,902 seeking work but 238,919 employed. That is a jobless rate of just 3.2 percent.
In Churchill County, 11,526 have jobs and 311 are looking, for a 2.6 percent rate.
In Lyon County, 23,222 are employed but 990 are without a job, a 4.1 percent rate.
Douglas County has 21,812 workers on the job and 768 out of work for a rate of 3.4 percent.
