Las Vegas Unemployment Rate Holds at 4.8 Percent and Ranks 328th Among 387 U.S. Metros

Las Vegas unemployment rate held steady at 4.8 percent in September. The figure matched August but fell from 5.7 percent in September 2025. The Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area ranked 328th out of 387 monitored metros, according to Casino.org News.

The 1.22 million civilian labor force included 59,310 unemployed. Roughly 20,000 jobs were added over the year, with professional and business services adding 11,100 positions.

Unemployment Remains High

The 0.9 percentage point year-over-year decline still left Las Vegas with one of the higher rates among U.S. metros. Bismarck, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls posted 1.7 percent. Reno stood at 3.5 percent and ranked 124th. Casino hotels cut approximately 700 jobs. Floor positions remained flat.

Nevada statewide unemployment fell to 4.7 percent from 5.2 percent. David Schmidt, chief economist at the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, attributed the change to lower labor force participation. “The unemployment rate edged down to 4.7%, as the labor force participation rate fell to 62.3%. The unemployment rate is now 0.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. rate,” Schmidt said. Growth occurred in health care, business services, and construction.

Leisure and Hospitality Employment Snapshot

Nearly 303,000 worked in leisure and hospitality in Southern Nevada, the region’s largest sector. MGM Resorts accounts for approximately 50,000 jobs on the Las Vegas Strip. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 represent around 60,000 casino resort workers in Las Vegas and Reno.

These figures show uneven labor market conditions in the state’s core gaming market, with hospitality lagging other industries.