Nevada Hits New Employment Peak in June as Las Vegas Leads Gains
2026-07-20
Source: Yogonet
Nevada added 3,800 jobs in June, pushing nonfarm employment to a record 1,614,100, driven by Las Vegas gains, though the state's 5.1% unemployment rate remained above the national average.
Nevada's nonfarm employment reached an all-time high in June, with the state adding 3,800 jobs to bring the seasonally adjusted total to 1,614,100, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR). Despite the milestone, the state's unemployment rate, while dipping slightly to 5.1% from 5.2% in May, still sat nearly a full percentage point above the national average of 4.2%.
The Las Vegas metropolitan area accounted for the bulk of the monthly increase, adding 3,000 jobs and pushing its total employment to a record 1,178,100. Those gains helped offset losses elsewhere: the Reno-Sparks area shed 600 positions from May, and Carson City dropped 100 jobs during the same period. Year over year, Reno-Sparks employment remained up 1.5%, while Carson City was down 0.6%.
Statewide, the leisure and hospitality sector added 1,700 jobs in June, and education and health services grew by 700. Those advances were partially tempered by losses in trade, transportation and utilities (down 800) and professional and business services (down 700).
Nevada has now led the nation in year-over-year employment growth for 11 consecutive months. DETR Chief Economist David Schmidt said the state's labor market was "on a solid footing in June," adding that the recent declines in both the labor force participation rate and unemployment rate mirrored national trends.
The employment expansion comes against a backdrop of modest tourism recovery. Las Vegas visitor volume reached 16.5 million through May, up 0.3% (46,300 visitors) from the same period a year earlier, per the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. However, the city recorded 38.5 million visitors in 2025 as a whole, a 7.5% drop from 2024.
State and regional leaders continue efforts to diversify Southern Nevada's economy beyond its heavy reliance on leisure and hospitality. A strategic plan from the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance warned that the region remains "heavily concentrated in leisure and hospitality, leaving the region vulnerable to economic disruption."