Nevada Unemployment Up Again

After a brief decline that officials did not expect to last, the Nevada unemployment rate is continuing to rise.

During December 2009, Nevada's unemployment rate increased from 12.3 percent to 13 percent, following a decrease from 12.9 percent during November 2009. That increase keeps the state's unemployment rate higher than the national unemployment rate of 10 percent.

Nevada had a total non-farm employment of 1,154,600 workers during December, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,166,200 workers during November and a 6.6 percent decrease from December 2008.

Only two industries saw a monthly increase in employment, including professional and business services by 1,100 jobs and education and health services by 400 jobs. Employment in the other services industry remained steady over the month and year with 36,700 workers.

The education and health services industry was the only industry that saw a yearly increase in employment. The industry employed 99,700 workers during December, up from 99,300 workers during November and a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.

The construction industry took the biggest yearly hit in employment. The industry employed 77,600 workers during December, down from 82,300 workers during November and a 27.7 percent decrease from December 2008.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:
mining and logging by 5.6 percent
manufacturing by 7.1 percent
trade, transportation and utilities by 4.1 percent
information by 6.9 percent
financial activities by 3.2 percent
professional and business services by 5.3 percent
leisure and hospitality by 7.1 percent
government by 4.9 percent