Nevada’s Unemployment Rate

A Gold Medal in Losing

It takes dedication to hold onto last place for years, but Nevada has done it. According to the latest figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Silver State spent all of 2024 as the nation’s unemployment champion, boasting a jobless rate of 5.6 percent—the worst in the country. South Dakota, by contrast, was positively overflowing with gainful employment, posting a mere 1.8 percent rate.

For those keeping track, the national unemployment rate in 2024 settled at four percent, proving that while the rest of the country was doing passably well, Nevada preferred to blaze a trail—straight into economic uncertainty.

A separate report for December 2024 confirmed the trend, ranking Nevada dead last with a rate of 5.8 percent. Close behind in this race to the bottom was California at 5.5 percent, followed by Kentucky and the District of Columbia at 5.3 percent.

To prove that consistency is key, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation reported that the January unemployment rate remained at 5.8 percent. The Reno-Sparks metro area, now generously expanded to include Lyon County, shed 600 jobs between December and January, while the Las Vegas area waved goodbye to 7,500.

Perhaps they all left to find work in South Dakota.

Looking at the rest of the West, Nevada still managed to be the dimmest bulb in the chandelier. California followed close behind, while states like Utah at 3.3 percent and Montana with 2.9 percent left little doubt that gainful employment was, in fact, possible west of the Mississippi.

The best five states in the nation were South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Montana, where joblessness is a mere rumor. For those in Nevada still seeking work, take heart—at least the state is winning at something.