LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Job growth surged in Reno in June, pushing the state to 45,000 new jobs added over the past year, according to the state employment division.
Year-over-year job growth was 3.3 percent for the state, compared to the national average of 1.5 percent growth.
Nevada had the fastest job growth in the nation for the ninth consecutive month.
In the Las Vegas valley, a loss of 3,200 jobs offset growth in Northern Nevada, but jobs in the valley still grew by 1.8 percent since June 2018, adding 18,800 jobs.
Among the biggest cuts, MGM laid off 557 people near the end of May. Those cuts came on top of earlier cuts for a loss of about 1,000 positions for Nevada’s largest employer.
More good news for Northern Nevada came Monday with the announcement of the second-largest commercial land sale in state history for an industrial park near Fernley that is expected to bring thousands of new jobs. The site, covering nearly 7 square miles, is about 30 miles east of Reno.
The $45 million purchase will become the Victory Logistics District along Interstate 80 in Fernley. Officials estimate more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created by the distribution, manufacturing and commercial center.
“All of Nevada’s metropolitan areas continue to show growth exceeding the national average,” said David Schmidt, Chief Economist, for Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation.
“The picture around the state continues to be one of significant job growth and very low unemployment, creating a favorable situation for unemployed or underemployed workers in the state.”