Douglas unemployment rate jumps a percent

Douglas County's unemployment rate jumped an entire percent to 9.5 percent, the fourth highest in the state.

According to information released by the state this morning, 21,940 county residents were working at the end of December, a decrease over November.

Neighboring Lyon County had the highest unemployment rate in the state with 12.1 percent. Only 22,460 of the county's 25,540 workers were employed, according to figures from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Carson City's unemployment rate just trailed Douglas's with 9 .4 percent.

Employment has been on a year-over-year decline for 10 consecutive months, said Bill Anderson, the department's chief economist. In March, once revised estimates are released, 2008 will likely mark the first time in 26 years that jobs declined on an annual basis, Anderson said.

"The decline ends a historic era of employment growth in the state," Anderson said. "The current downturn has made it quite obvious that Nevada is not immune to broader economic forces. Much has been made of late concerning cautious consumer spending patterns, as consumer confidence has fallen acutely in recent months. This has impacted Nevada's economy on a number of fronts.

Taxable sales have taken a decisive downturn, having fallen in eight of the first 10 months of 2008. Las Vegas visitor volume declined at a double-digit pace in recent months, and gaming win per visitor (adjusted for inflation) in Southern Nevada has declined over year-ago readings in six of the past seven quarters."