Figures show Douglas labor pool continues to drain

Douglas County’s unemployment rate dropped a percent, due mainly to the draining of its labor pool.

The rate dropped from 6.6 to 5.6 percent, according to figures released Wednesday by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

While there are around 300 fewer jobless workers on the rolls, there was also a 400-worker decrease in the number of the employed.

That led to the labor pool shrinking about 700 people, according to the state.

While the number of jobless reflects solely Douglas residents, the employment numbers show how many people work in the county, regardless of where they live.

Douglas has the sixth highest unemployment rate in the state, with neighboring Carson City at 5.8 percent and Lyon County at 6.4 percent.

“Employment gains were mixed in November with the Las Vegas and Reno MSAs showing growth while the Carson City MSA remains mostly flat when accounting for seasonal patterns. Unemployment levels continued to decline across the state resulting in improvements in the unemployment rate in nearly all areas. Although the labor market continues to improve, Nevada remains one of the states most impacted by the COVID pandemic, with our economic outlook dependent on the response to COVID19 including treatments, policy responses, and public compliance with measures to slow the spread of the disease,” said David Schmidt, Chief Economist for DETR.