Unemployment up a bit in September

Nevada's adjusted unemployment rate increased from 3.8 to 4 percent in September with an estimated 43,900 Nevadans out of work.

The number was higher than the national rate of 3.9 percent.

Employment, Training and Rehabilitation Director Myla Florence said urban areas reported low unemployment, and rural counties - especially those heavily dependent on mining - with much higher percentages of people out of work.

But she pointed out that the figures show Nevada with 45,500 more jobs this September than the same month of 1999.

The low spot for the state was the Reno area, where 2.7 percent of workers were without jobs. Reno reported a total labor force of 184,600 - up 10,000 from a year ago.

The Carson City area, which includes Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties, showed an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, with 2,060 out of 56,870 in the labor force out of work. That is 1 percent lower than September 1999 figures.

The Las Vegas area brought the statewide average up in September with 33,400 out of 785,400 out of work - a 4.3 percent rate.

That is an improvement over the 4.8 percent out of work in Clark County a year ago.

Altogether, there are more than 1 million people in Nevada's labor force. Florence said every major industry in the state is growing except mining.