Nevada finished 2020 with 6.8 percent fewer people working

Nevada finished 2020 with unemployment rates continuing to decline.

The unemployment rate in the Carson City reporting area was at 5.7 percent as of the end of December. That is down from 6.1 percent in November.

In the final month of 2020, Carson City saw an increase in employment of 200 jobs. According to DETR, the sector with the largest employment growth was leisure and hospitality. The work force in the capital is 24,791 people.

In Reno-Sparks the rate was 5 percent compared to 5.6 percent in November. That is still about double the 2.9 percent jobless rate before the pandemic hit. Reno’s labor force is 251,522

The increase in the Reno area was 4,400 jobs and three sectors showed growth: professional and business services, manufacturing and construction.

Las Vegas continued to drive the statewide unemployment rate upward. That area’s 10.4 percent rate pulled the overall state rate up to 9 percent. The 10.4 rate, however is significantly better than the 11.8 percent rate in November.

In Las Vegas, 6,800 more jobs were added. The two sectors with the largest employment growth were mining and logging and financial activities.

Compared to December 2019, however, total employment in the state was still 6.8 percent lower.

Total employment finished the year up 8,200 jobs compared to November as 1.35 million of Nevada’s 1.48 million workers were employed.

There were a total of 37,310 initial claims for unemployment benefits filed during December, up 14.4 percent from November. Continued claims, however, continued to decline over the month mostly because claimants are expiring their regular 26 weeks of benefits.