Nevada’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country.
As of April 2025, it’s sitting at 5.1%, while the national average is just 3.9%, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR).
A lot of that has to do with how Nevada’s economy works.
We rely more than most states on tourism – casinos, shows, hotels, and restaurants. And when COVID hit, then-Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak shut it all down.
While visitors have started coming back, not all the jobs have.
Hotels and casinos that never re-opened after the “Sisolak Shutdown” include Texas Station, Fiesta Rancho, Fiesta Henderson, Buffalo Bills, and the Eastside Cannery.
That alone is a couple thousand jobs that’ll never come back.
But here’s something not a lot of people talk about: Nevada also has one of the highest shares of illegal immigrants in the country.
In fact, the Migration Policy Institute estimates that undocumented immigrants make up about 7% of the state’s population and over 8% of our workforce.
That’s the highest percentage of any state.
So here’s a politically sensitive question worth asking: Could stronger deportation policies help put more Nevadans back to work?
Right now, a lot of Nevadans are out of work.
Meanwhile, illegal immigrants are working in industries like construction, hospitality, and food service – many of the same sectors where Nevada has high unemployment.
That’s not speculation. It’s backed by data.
A 2023 report by the American Immigration Council shows that a large number of undocumented immigrants in Nevada hold low-wage jobs that don’t require a college degree.
These are the same jobs many unemployed Americans could do – if they were available and paid fairly.
And that’s part of the problem: Illegal workers are often paid less than what the law allows.
They don’t always report abuse or demand fair treatment because they’re afraid of getting deported. That drives down wages and working conditions for everyone.
If those workers were removed from the workforce, employers would have to start playing fair – raising pay and offering better conditions to attract legal workers.
That’s just how the market works.
Some business owners are saying they “can’t find workers.” But in many cases, what they really mean is they can’t find people willing to work for below-market wages.
Take construction, for example.
According to the UC Berkeley Labor Center, the Nevada construction industry relies heavily on undocumented labor – and it’s one of the state’s largest sources of low-wage jobs.
At the same time, unemployed Americans often skip applying for these jobs because the pay is too low to support a family.
Enforce the law, remove the illegal labor pool, and suddenly those wages start to rise.
Yes, businesses might have to adjust. But so does every worker who gets laid off and has to find a new job. It’s only fair.
Critics say mass deportations could hurt the economy. They warn that removing a big part of the workforce would slow things down or make prices go up.
That’s a valid concern, but let’s take a step back.
First, unemployed people aren’t contributing much to the economy either. When they’re out of work, they’re not spending, saving, or investing.
Helping more Nevadans get back on the job – at fair wages – would give families more stability and spending power.
Second, even if prices rise a little in the short term, higher wages mean more tax revenue and less need for government aid like unemployment checks or food stamps.
That’s a win for taxpayers.
Some say Americans “won’t do” the jobs illegal immigrants do. But history tells us otherwise.
When the Trump administration cracked down on illegal hiring, jobs in fields like farming and construction didn’t vanish. Instead, employers had to start offering better pay and working conditions – and Americans took those jobs.
People want to work. They just want jobs that are legal, safe, and pay enough to live on.
Nevada has a serious unemployment problem. And while job training, industry growth, and small business support all help, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room.
When 8% of the workforce is undocumented, and many of those jobs are in the very sectors where citizens are struggling, it’s worth asking if tighter immigration enforcement should be part of the solution.
Let’s put Nevadans first.
Let’s make sure the jobs here are going to the people who are legally allowed to work – and who need those paychecks to feed their families and build a future.
Deportation alone isn’t a magic fix. But it could help rebalance the labor market, raise wages, and give legal workers a better shot at getting back on their feet.
Because at the end of the day, if we’re serious about lowering unemployment, we need to make sure the jobs that do exist aren’t going to those who are breaking the law to get them.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
