Jobless rate rises; more return to labor market

Nevada’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up a tenth to 7.1 percent in January but the raw rate rose a full six tenths to 7.5 percent.

Carson City’s rate increased a full percentage point to 8.5 percent with rising unemployment in state and local government posts as well as throughout the private sector.

Carson City finished the month with 24,900 in the workforce and 2,100 seeking a job.

Reno-Sparks saw a similar increase — nine-tenths to 7.4 percent — also in categories across the board. There were 16,400 looking for work in a labor pool of 222,800.

Even though those numbers are an increase from the previous month, the state’s overall unemployment rate is more than a percent below what it was a year ago.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said the increase in unemployment is a reflection of the number of Nevadans re-entering the workforce and looking for work. The way the state’s statistics work, those people who give up looking for work drop out of the calculations.

Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said the state has added at least 40,000 jobs in each of the past six months compared to the same period a year ago.

“We think that job growth will continue through 2015,” he said. “Over time, that will put downward pressure on the unemployment rate.”

Statewide there are now less than 100,000 jobless seeking employment.