Reno Reporter

Nevada’s economy is "bouncing back" from the COVID-19, Gov. Steve Sisolak tweeted Sept. 18.

"The numbers prove it," the governor said.

The state added 11,900 jobs in August, unemployment is down from August 2020 and employment is increasing in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City, Sisolak said.

Nevada has added 103,300 jobs since August 2020, according to the the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

"The large increase in employment reflects the significant effects of the pandemic over the last year," the agency said in a Sept. 17 news release. 

However, employment in Nevada "remains below typical levels," the department said. The unemployment rate is still 7.7% — unchanged from July to August. 

Although it has dropped 6.8 percentage points from a year ago, it's still among the highest unemployment rates in the nation, reflecting the "long road left to a complete recovery in the state’s labor market" David Schmidt, the state's chief economist, said in the statement.

Las Vegas gained 7,000 jobs in August; Reno, 900 and Carson City, 300, according to the statement.

"The leisure and hospitality industry added the most jobs over the  month, adding 3,900 jobs since July," Schmidt said.

Thirteen companies are planning to relocate and or expand to Nevada, according to a Sept. 30 statement from the governor's office. They will employ more than 2,300 people and pay an average hourly wage of $33.

"Nevada has also seen its bond rating grow to its strongest ever, seen the fastest increase in employment and some of the strongest GDP growth in the country," the governor said.