Nevada Adds 3,800 Jobs in June as Las Vegas Employment Hits Record High

Nevada’s labor market kept its hot streak alive in June, adding 3,800 jobs statewide and pushing total nonfarm employment to a record 1,614,100 positions, according to a report from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR). The Las Vegas metropolitan area drove the bulk of that growth, with total employment in Southern Nevada climbing to an all-time high of 1,178,100 jobs.

The monthly gain brought Nevada’s year-over-year job growth to 36,700 positions, or 2.3%, compared to June 2025. That figure keeps the state at the top of the national rankings, with Nevada leading the country in year-over-year employment growth for 11 consecutive months, according to DETR.

Las Vegas Carries the State’s Growth

Las Vegas added 3,000 jobs from May to June, a 0.3% monthly increase, and was up 25,600 jobs, or 2.2%, compared to a year earlier. The metro area’s total employment of 1,178,100 marks the highest level ever recorded for Southern Nevada, underscoring how central the Las Vegas Strip’s tourism and hospitality economy remains to the state’s overall job market. Casino resorts, restaurants, and entertainment venues across the valley have continued to add staff as visitor volume and convention business hold steady.

Statewide, the leisure and hospitality sector added 1,700 jobs in June, the largest gain of any industry, while education and health services contributed another 700 positions. Not every sector expanded, though. Trade, transportation, and utilities shed 800 jobs during the month, and professional and business services lost 700. Outside of Las Vegas, the picture was more mixed — the Reno-Sparks metro area lost 600 jobs from May despite still running 1.5% ahead of last year, and Carson City lost 100 jobs and sat 0.6% below its June 2025 total.

Unemployment Rate Still Among the Nation’s Highest

Despite the job gains, Nevada’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains a persistent trouble spot. The rate edged down to 5.1% in June from 5.2% in May, but it’s still well above the national rate of 4.2%, keeping Nevada among the states with the highest joblessness in the country even as its payrolls expand faster than almost anywhere else.

DETR’s chief economist, David Schmidt, noted that Nevada has added jobs at a steady clip over the past year, with growth topping 2% year-over-year continuing into June. Both the labor force participation rate and the unemployment rate declined during the month, a trend Schmidt said tracked with national shifts reported for the same period. Overall, DETR characterized the state’s labor market as solid heading into the back half of the year.

For a gaming-heavy economy like Nevada’s, sustained hiring in leisure and hospitality is a leading indicator worth watching alongside broader industry trends — including how operators are positioning their casino promotions and hiring plans as Las Vegas properties compete for both visitors and workers in a tightening labor market.