December unemployment lowest in nine years in Nevada

Nevada’s unemployment rate hit its lowest mark in nine years in December — 5.1 percent seasonally adjusted but just 4.9 percent without that adjustment.

Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said that’s 1.2 percent lower than in December 2015 and the state’s 72nd consecutive month of decreases.

“After losing 186,000 jobs off of the pre-recessionary peak during the downturn, the Silver State has added 195,000 jobs since September 2010,” Anderson said.

The state added 32,500 of those jobs since 2015 and the largest growth was in construction categories, up 7,200 jobs or more than 10 percent.

The rate in Reno-Sparks and Carson City was steady from November to December with Reno at 4.2 percent and Carson at 5.3 percent.

In raw numbers, Reno-Sparks added 1,100 jobs while Carson’s total employment was essentially flat — down 200 positions. There are 224,700 employed in Reno-Sparks and 23,100 in Carson. By comparison, Reno-Sparks is down over the year from 5.5 percent and Carson City from 6.7 percent.

Churchill County’s unemployment rate ticked up two-tenths in December to 4.7 percent with 9,907 employed in a labor force of 10,397. Churchill is well below the 7.1 percent where the county started 2016.

Douglas too saw a solid decrease in jobless numbers over the year, falling from 6.6 percent to 4.9 percent. That equates to 1,085 jobless in a labor force of 22,151.

Lyon County’s rate fell a full 3 percent over the year from 9.5 percent to 6.3 percent with 1,324 seeking work in a pool of 21,478.

Lyon shares the dubious distinction of the highest December rate in Nevada with Nye County.

The lowest jobless rates were 3.6 percent in Esmeralda and Eureka counties. Both are enjoying a mining boom.