The job market in Las Vegas, the economic engine of Nevada, has remained stagnant as tourism on the strip has dropped off.
Nevada’s unemployment rate edged down slightly from 5.4% to 5.3%, but that dip reflects fewer people working or looking for work, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s (DETR) August 2025 economic report.
The state’s labor force shrank by about 1,300 people in August, while total employment held steady at roughly 1.57 million jobs, which is unchanged from a year ago and down about 3,800 positions from July.
THE US ECONOMY SAW ‘ESSENTIALLY NO JOB GROWTH’ LAST MONTH: MOODY’S
David Schmidt, chief economist for DETR, classified its labor market as “largely stationary.” However, he drew particular attention to the fact that private sector employment fell by 6,000 jobs over the month, led by statistically significant declines in the construction and accommodation and food Services industries.
“We have not experienced a surge in new claims for unemployment benefits from workers in those industries and data on hours worked and hourly wages continue to remain steady, pointing to an ongoing demand for workers” Schmidt said.
THE SEPTEMBER JOBS REPORT IS DELAYED BY THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN- WHAT WAS IT EXPECTED TO SHOW?
The poor job market comes as tourism remains weak, a problem that’s persisted for several months.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which releases a monthly summary of tourism data from several agencies including the LVCVA, Harry Reid International Airport, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the NV Dept. of Transportation (NDOT), reported that southern Nevada’s tourism sector showed clear signs of strain in June 2025 with visitor volume falling 11.3% compared to the same month last year.
Convention attendance also dropped 10.7% in June, underscoring the weak demand for leisure and business travel.
PRIVATE SECTOR LOST 32,000 JOBS IN SEPTEMBER, ADP SAYS
Hotel performance metrics also highlighted the drop in tourism with occupancy rates declining by 6.5% percentage points to 78.7%. As a result, revenue per available room plunged nearly 14%, signaling lower profitability for resorts and hotels, according to the report.
However, the report noted that gaming revenue in Clark County, where Las Vegas, rose modestly by 3.5%, suggesting that the visitors who came spent more.
Still, service workers in the area have lamented that the declining foot traffic on the strip has taken a bite out of their earnings, which are heavily reliant on tips.
Sebastian Espinoza, a busser at Caesars Palace that works on an “on call” basis, told local news outlet KSNV in August that he has rarely received a call to pick up a shift this year. Despite having a decade of experience in the industry, Espinoza said he has also been unable to find work elsewhere, according to the outlet.
Read the full article here
