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The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained stable at 5.3% in February 2026, showing no change from the previous month. During this period, the seasonally adjusted labor force grew by 3,829 people to reach a total of 1,698,029. The number of employed individuals in the state also saw a positive trend, increasing by 2,962 to a total of 1,607,880. While the number of unemployed individuals rose slightly by 867 compared to January, the overall labor force participation rate stood at 63.7%.
In the state’s major metropolitan areas, the unemployment rates varied based on non-seasonally adjusted data. The Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas area maintained a steady unemployment rate of 5.8%. Meanwhile, both the Reno-Sparks and Carson City areas experienced slight improvements, with Reno’s rate decreasing by 0.1 percentage points to 4.6% and Carson City’s rate also dropping by 0.1 percentage points to 4.5%. Specifically, the number of unemployed individuals in Reno fell by 154, while Carson City saw a decrease of 41 individuals compared to January.
Local county data highlighted significant differences in employment across the state. Humboldt County reported the lowest unemployment rate at 3.8%, while Mineral County recorded the highest rate at 10.8%. Nine out of Nevada’s 17 counties saw a decrease in their unemployment rates over the month. Nye County experienced the most significant reduction with a 0.2 percentage point drop, whereas Esmeralda County saw the sharpest increase, rising by 0.8 percentage points to 9.5%. Other notable rates included Clark County at 5.8% and Washoe County at 4.5%.
Unemployment insurance activity showed a sharp decline in new claims during February. There were 10,745 initial claims filed, which is a 16.9% decrease from the 12,926 claims recorded in January. Despite this monthly drop, the total amount compensated for unemployment benefits during February was $44,732,858, with the average weekly benefit amount coming in at $505.59. The average duration for these claims was 14.23 weeks, and the exhaustion rate for benefits was 42.35%.