Jobless rate increases to 13.8% in Carson City

The January unemployment rate in Carson City jumped to 13.8 percent, up from 12.8 percent in December 2008, the state reported this morning.

Nevada's statewide unemployment rate remained at 13 percent in January, but the largest metropolitan areas saw increases because of the loss of seasonal holiday workers and slow construction activity.

Bill Anderson, chief economist with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said while loss of seasonal jobs wasn't as steep as January 2009 when employers shed 40,300 jobs, they were made from an already reduced work force.

Job losses in January totaled 25,300 statewide, and 187,700 Nevadans remained unemployment and were actively seeking work.

Retail employment fell by 4,600 from December to January, the smallest monthly change in the past 10 years because fewer workers were needed during the holiday shopping season, Anderson said.

State government jobs fell 5,100 because of the break the university system takes between semesters and construction employment, which typically declines in winter, fell by 3,200.

"Overall, the year-over-year employment decrease of 6.2 percent still shows significant job loss and aligns with the expectation that Nevada employers will struggle to maintain job levels in the year ahead," the report said.

The jobless rate in the Las Vegas area rose to 13.8 percent, up from 13.1 percent in December.

The jobless rate climbed a full percentage point in the Reno-Sparks area to 13.5 percent.

Elsewhere, Elko reported a jobless rate of 8.1 percent in January, up from 7.1 percent in December and 6.7 percent from the same month a year ago.

The unemployment rate for blacks and Hispanics living in Nevada were also higher than the statewide average, at 18.2 percent and 17 percent respectively, DETR reported.

The jobless rate for Nevada's white population was 11.4 percent in January.

Anderson added that a revision of last year's jobless numbers shows the state's unemployment picture was worse than previously estimated.

A reconciliation of actual jobless figures as opposed to employer survey estimates shows Nevada lost 115,100 jobs, or 9.1 percent, from 2008 to 2009, he said. Losses in the private sector totaled 38,800 jobs, or 10.1 percent.