Leisure and hospitality lagging, along with government jobs
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The economic recovery reached a milestone in Nevada in April as private sector employment went higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR).
But strong job growth in construction, manufacturing and several other sectors has occurred while jobs in leisure and hospitality have yet to recover — still at about 90% of levels seen before the pandemic hit.
Las Vegas job growth continued, with 1,900 jobs added in April. Reno followed with 700 new jobs and Carson City grew by 100 jobs. Overall, Nevada added 5,200 jobs in April, DETR said.
“Total statewide employment continues to close in on its pre-pandemic peak as the public sector is yet to see a full recovery,” according to David Schmidt, Chief Economist. “Las Vegas saw the fastest job growth in the state over the year, and all three metro areas added jobs over the month.”
Nevada’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.0%, unchanged from March. The state has the third-highest unemployment rate in the nation, behind only the District of Columbia and New Mexico.
“The unemployment rate, while higher than other states, is relatively low and is trending down,” Schmidt said.
The number of unemployed people increased by 61 from March, and now stands at 75,566 — 54,706 fewer than in April 2021.
Job growth in Nevada has outpaced every other state over the past year as the tourism-based economy returns to strength.
The labor force in Nevada is currently 1,508,850 people, which increased by 5,640 people from March, and decreased by 8,629 people since April 2021.
“While the labor market still has room to improve, it continues to remain tight and trend in a positive direction,” Schmidt said.
DETR noted that there are still significant hurdles in achieving a full recovery in the state, especially with uncertainty around new COVID-19 variants and their potential impacts on businesses and the labor force.