The unemployment figures have gone through gyrations in the past two years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has announced that the economy added 194,000 jobs in September. That was well below the 500,000 forecast by economists. The national unemployment rate was 5.2%.
In February 2020, unemployment was at a five-decade low of 3.5%. It rose to a five-decade high at 14.2% in April, driven by the sudden start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A rapid rise in gross domestic product and consumer confidence has helped fuel the comeback.
The BLS also provides unemployment data by state and metro area. The bureau observed:
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 11 states, decreased in 3 states, and was essentially unchanged in 36 states and the District of Columbia in August 2021.Over the year, 49 states and the District added nonfarm payroll jobs and 1 state was essentially unchanged.
The state with the highest unemployment rate was Nevada at 7.7%. Nebraska had the lowest rate, 2.2%, an almost unfathomable number.
Nevada remains one of the states most badly damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. The gaming industry was shut down almost entirely by travel and gathering restrictions. And another wave of the disease has hit the nation and again curtailed indoor activity that includes large numbers of people.
8News Now pointed out:
DETR (Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation) Chief Economist David Schmidt noted that this is the first look at jobs data since the Delta variant emerged, causing a statewide mask mandate that was followed by efforts by employers to require vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests for workers.
Under the circumstances, it is highly unlikely the jobs situation in Nevada will change until the current wave of COVID-19 subsides.
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