Unemployment down to 15 percent, Nevada adds nearly 100,000 jobs

Nevada’s unemployment rate dropped from more than 25 percent to 15 percent in June as the state added back 98,900 jobs.

A spokesman said the vast majority of those jobs were in the hospitality industry as hotel-casinos across the state reopened for business — 72,700 of the total.

The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation report also saw a 35.7 percent decrease in initial claims for unemployment benefits.

Chief Economist Dave Schmidt said Nevada recovered nearly half the jobs lost since the governor ordered closure of those businesses and many others to stem the spread of the virus in March.

But he issued a cautionary note.

“While encouraging, it is important to remember that conditions have changed since the middle of June and the evolving public health landscape and necessary restrictions will continue to impact Nevada’s labor market for several months to come,” said Schmidt.

Jobless numbers for the different metropolitan and county reporting areas were not available at this point. Those detailed numbers are normally released about a week after the statewide report.