Nevada adds jobs with unemployment rate still higher than national rate

In this March 17, 2020, file photo, people wait in line for help with unemployment benefits at the One-Stop Career Center in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP

(The Center Square) – Nevada’s employers have added more jobs for the third consecutive month, slowly chipping away at a high unemployment rate brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) said that nearly 15,000 jobs were added statewide throughout July 2020. Compared to July 2019, DETR’s data shows a 9.8 percent decrease, about 138,700 jobs, over the year to date.

According to the recent round of data, Nevada has 1,281,100 unemployed workers.

The unemployment rate across the state is at 14 percent. The U.S., as a whole, is at 10.2 percent for the month of July.

Despite an unemployment rate that is still well above the national average, the growth of jobs in Nevada is a positive sign of economic growth, acting DETR Director Elisa Cafferata said in a news release.

“I am encouraged Nevada is continuing to recover the jobs lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic and some people are able to return to work. We still have a long way to go,” Cafferata said.

DETR’s chief economist, David Schmidt, also pointed out that businesses are still dealing with the weight placed on them by the pandemic, despite the job growth.

“The number of unemployed remains high but continues to improve. July’s data reflects a period of slower growth following the significant re-openings that took place in May and June,” he said. “The challenges posed by the pandemic continue to weigh  on the labor market, and the response to COVID-19 by businesses and the public continues to evolve. As the public health situation continues to develop, we will see corresponding impacts in employment and unemployment in the months ahead.”

By

Michael McGrady | The Center Square