Counties with the highest unemployment in Nevada
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Nevada using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Nevada.
#17. White Pine County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,559 people (161 unemployed)
#16. Lander County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,128 people (112 unemployed)
#15. Elko County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,340 people (946 unemployed)
#14. Humboldt County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,539 people (290 unemployed)
#13. Churchill County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,965 people (455 unemployed)
#12. Washoe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 265,072 people (11,218 unemployed)
#11. Eureka County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 930 people (41 unemployed)
#10. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,948 people (87 unemployed)
#9. Storey County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,158 people (98 unemployed)
#8. Douglas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,509 people (1,030 unemployed)
#7. Carson City
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,047 people (1,259 unemployed)
#6. Esmeralda County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 464 people (24 unemployed)
#5. Clark County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1.2 million people (62,744 unemployed)
#4. Pershing County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,278 people (122 unemployed)
#3. Lyon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,270 people (1,502 unemployed)
#2. Mineral County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,542 people (104 unemployed)
#1. Nye County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 18,584 people (1,239 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
