Las Vegas News · September 17, 2026
Las Vegas Adds 7,000 Jobs in August, State Report Shows
By The Property Management Firm
Published
The Las Vegas metro area added 7,000 jobs from July to August 2026, according to the state's monthly economic report released Sept. 17 by Nevada's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR). The seasonally adjusted gain was 0.6%, and DETR's figures showed the metro area up 14,200 jobs, or 1.2%, from August 2025. Nevada's statewide unemployment rate fell to 4.8%, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. For local owners and renters, it is the latest official read on employment in the valley.
Las Vegas Area Job Numbers
DETR's August report listed these figures for the Las Vegas metro area:
- 1,186,900 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, which DETR's tables listed as an all-time high for the series
- An increase of 7,000 jobs (0.6%) from July
- An increase of 14,200 jobs (1.2%) from August 2025
- On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, 1,184,600 jobs, up 10,300 (0.9%) from July and 17,100 (1.5%) from a year earlier
DETR's summary table showed the Las Vegas area's seasonally adjusted job count at its one-year, three-year and all-time high of 1,186,900. The 7,000-job monthly gain was also the largest one-month change in the table's one-year window.
Statewide, Nevada had 1,619,400 nonfarm jobs in August, according to DETR, an increase of 4,400 from July and 20,700 (1.3%) from August 2025.
Industries and Other Metro Areas
DETR said these were the two largest statewide gains and the two largest losses by industry from July to August:
- Leisure and hospitality: up 3,100 jobs
- Professional and business services: up 1,000 jobs
- Trade, transportation and utilities: down 1,500 jobs
- Information: down 200 jobs
DETR Chief Economist David Schmidt said the August data "continues to indicate steady gains in Nevada's labor market," according to the department's release. He added that job growth accelerated slightly, with gains spread across multiple industries.
DETR's report also covered Nevada's two other metro areas on a seasonally adjusted basis:
- Reno-Sparks added 1,100 jobs (0.4%) from July and 2,800 jobs (1.0%) from August 2025.
- Carson City lost 100 jobs (-0.3%) from July and 400 jobs (-1.2%) from August 2025.
For comparison, DETR's tables showed U.S. seasonally adjusted employment up 162,000 jobs (0.1%) from July and up 0.4% from a year earlier.
The Unemployment Rate
Nevada's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8% in August, down 0.2 percentage points from July and down from 5.2% in August 2025, DETR reported. It was the first time the rate had been below 5% since February 2020, according to the report.
Schmidt said the decline in unemployment was driven by a decline in labor force participation, though participation remained one percentage point higher than the national average. The state's labor force fell by 5,951 people over the month to 1,675,646, according to the report. That change was made up of 2,720 fewer employed people and 3,231 fewer unemployed people, DETR said. The number of unemployed Nevadans stood at 81,130, down 6,269 from a year earlier, and the labor force was up 4,409 people compared with August 2025. Nevada's seasonally adjusted labor force participation rate was 62.6%, compared with 61.6% nationally, according to the report's tables.
The Review-Journal's coverage also cited the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, reporting that Las Vegas had drawn 22.8 million visitors through July, up 0.5% from the same period a year earlier.
What This Means for Owners and Renters
For owners: DETR's August figures put Las Vegas-area employment at 1,186,900 jobs, seasonally adjusted, up 14,200 from a year earlier. The statewide unemployment rate fell to 4.8%, though DETR attributed the decline to lower labor force participation.
For renters: The August report showed the most growth statewide in leisure and hospitality and in professional and business services, according to DETR. Trade, transportation and utilities lost 1,500 jobs statewide over the same period.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many jobs did Las Vegas add in August 2026?
The Las Vegas metro area added 7,000 jobs from July to August on a seasonally adjusted basis, a 0.6% increase, according to Nevada's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR).
What was Nevada's unemployment rate?
DETR reported a seasonally adjusted statewide rate of 4.8% in August 2026, down 0.2 percentage points from July and down from 5.2% in August 2025.
Who publishes these numbers?
DETR's Research and Analysis Bureau releases a monthly economic report on Nevada and its metro areas.
Sources
This is general local news, not financial or legal advice. Figures come from the sources listed above and can be revised, so talk with a licensed professional about your own situation.
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