CARSON CITY (AP) - Nevada's unemployment rate ticked up in June to 9.6 percent despite better than expected job growth.
The June rate is up from 9.5 percent in May but still well below the 11.4 percent jobless rate a year ago, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
Pershing County's jobless rate rose to 9.7 percent in June, up from 8.7 percent in May. That's still far below the 11 percent unemployment rate recorded in January.
Las Vegas had an unemployment rate of 10.1 percent in June, up from 9.3 percent the previous month. Carson City's rate also climbed to 10.1 percent from 9.5 percent in May.
The Reno-Sparks area saw the jobless rate increase by one-half percentage point to 9.8 percent.
Chief Economist Bill Anderson said the increases are seasonal in nature and were anticipated.
Still, 132,400 Nevadans were unemployed in June, not counting ``discouraged workers' who have given up looking for a job. Anderson said over the past 12 months, Nevada's discouraged worker population has averaged 13,200 out of total labor force of around 1.3 million.
"All in all the June report suggests that the jobs picture in Nevada remains on the mend," Anderson said in a statement. "Recent improvement has been steady and consistent.
"That's not to say the overall situation is problem-free," he added, noting that with tens of thousands of Nevadans looking for work "considerable room remains for improvement."
On the bright side, Anderson said the June report shows a seasonally adjusted gain of 3,700 in Nevada's job base. Historical trends show Nevada would have expected to lose about 3,400 jobs from May to June, but actually added 300.
[[In-content Ad]]
