Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) – Nevada has the highest unemployment rate of any state in the nation in January, according to figures released Thursday by the state’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
Nevada’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 5.5%, identical to what it was in December, with initial claims for unemployment insurance up slightly.
In spite of leading the nation in unemployment, Nevada’s labor force has increased by 62,000 since the end of 2022.
“This report shows Nevada has recovered from the COVID recession and is continuing to add jobs at a brisk pace. Except for the leisure and hospitality industry, every sector of our economy employs more people than before the pandemic, and every single industry is showing growth over the past year. Our unemployment rate is high as is the total number of job openings in the state, reflecting an ongoing tight labor market,” said David Schmidt, DETR's chief economist.
Coming in 2nd behind Nevada was Oregon, with an unemployment rate of 4.8%, followed by Illinois (4.6%), Delaware (4.6%) and Washington state (4.5%)