Churchill’s July jobless rate inches to 6.5 percent

Nevada’s unemployment rate was flat in July, remaining at 7.7 percent.

But officials pointed out that is 2.2 percent lower than July a year ago.

That is the seasonally adjusted rate. Because Las Vegas reported a rate of 8.2 percent, the raw state rate for the month was 8 percent — two tenths up from a month earlier.

Churchill County’s unemployment rate ticked up a tenth in July to 6.5 percent, still far better than the statewide average. Some 820 people there are looking for work in a labor force of 12,590.

Carson City came in at 7.9 percent for the month.

The state also has 44,600 more jobs than it did a year ago, making July the 43rd month of year-over-year growth, said Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

He said Las Vegas gained 3,000 jobs over the month and is 25,700 ahead for the year while Reno job growth is up 7,300 for the year.

Carson City, however, experienced no monthly growth and is up just 100 jobs from July 2013. Some 2,100 of the capital’s 26,700 workers were looking for a job.

Reno-Sparks helped the average, coming in at just 7.3 percent. That is the same as reported in June with 16,500 of the 224,400 workforce seeking employment.

In Douglas County, the rate is 8 percent, a tenth better than June with 1,730 jobless in a pool of 21,620.

Lyon County has a rate of 10.3 percent but, because of economic conditions in Mineral County, no longer has the highest unemployment rate in the state. Mineral reported 10.9 percent jobless.

The private sector added some 600 jobs in July but that was offset by the loss of 800 public sector jobs.

Construction added 7,500 jobs over the year and the hospitality industry — tourism, gaming and entertainment — 10,600 over the past year.