In a strong sign for the Las Vegas area, job growth in leisure and hospitality doubled in June compared to the previous month, according to new monthly statistics released July 25 by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
Dave Schmidt, chief economist for the state, said the food service sector is now nearly fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels with more than 131,000 workers. Food service and drinking places added 6,600 jobs since May.
That category has lagged behind most other industries, especially in the Las Vegas area where the vast majority of leisure and hospitality workers are.
The few sectors reporting job losses in June include a 7,100 decrease in government jobs, primarily seasonal reductions in education over the summer, according to DETR's June economic report.Altogether, the state added 15,400 jobs in June for a total employment of 1.336 million. That leaves 58,900 people still looking for work.Carson City remained flat with 30,200 employed workers while Las Vegas increased total employment by 6,500 and Reno-Sparks added 800.The unemployment rate remained stable at a seasonally adjusted 7.8% — same as May 2021 and up from June 2020’s mark of 7.6%.Schmidt pointed out that the June numbers are the first good look at the recovery since the state relaxed business restrictions related to the pandemic.“While June data is positive, there is still significant disruption to the economy as businesses and labor force seek to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” Schmidt said in a statement.
