Unemployment rates in Nevada’s metro areas decline in March

Nevada’s three major metro areas experienced declines in their unemployment rates over the month and over the year. The rate in Las Vegas fell to 4.8 percent, down 1.3 percentage points over the year. The Reno/Sparks rate dropped to 4.2 percent, which is 1.5 percentage points lower than last March. The unemployment rate in Carson City dropped 0.8 of a percentage point over the month to 5.2 percent, a decline of 1.7 percentage points from last year. “Over-the-year job growth remained positive for all three metro areas in March,” said Bill Anderson, chief economist for Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. “The metro areas are experiencing similar positive trends as Nevada as a whole, adding jobs to the labor market and experiencing unemployment rates below 5 percent. Additionally, unemployment fell in 17 of the state’s counties.” Key Points:

• Las Vegas’ growth rate: 3.1 percent; 29,300 jobs added over the year
• Reno/Sparks’ growth rate: 3.1 percent; 6,800 jobs added over the year
• Carson City’s growth: 2.5 percent; 700 jobs added over the year
• Nevada’s growth rate: 3 percent; added 38,300 jobs over the year