Sounds funny to think of Nevada being concerned about unemployment, but of course, not every city in the state has blocks of casinos. In fact, there are probably only a few cities that boast of tourist trade based on casinos: Las Vegas and Reno. Like any other place, Nevada Unemployment is a problem for those who live in the state, and though Nevada's low 3.6% preliminary statistic for December 2005 is low in comparison to other states, for Nevada residents who are faced with the loss of their jobs, it's a serious problem. A problem that needs to be fixed. The people that are jobless need help in getting these jobs.

Nevada Unemployment benefit has a maximum weekly amount of $329, and as in other states, this is based on wages earned during a base period. You also must meet certain preliminary criteria such as being able and available for work, seeking work, and being out of work for reasons that are not just cause such as misconduct that is directly related to your work. Although the Nevada Unemployment benefits are not meant to replace your wages from your former employer, they assist you with some income until you can return to work. If it isn't enough for you then it shows that you are in desperate need for a job that pays a higher salary.

Nevada, like a few others states, does not allow employees who are paid tips to be paid less than the state's $5.15 minimum wage. Although this doesn't sound like much of an advantage for most people, to those who rely on tips to make up the difference in pay, making at least minimum wage can make the difference in whether they can pay their rent or not. For those working in the service industry such as waiter staff, and even those who work the bars in the casinos, their tips can make the difference. Unlike other states that can pay less than minimum wage, Nevada employees can actually hope to make a decent wage instead of simply struggling to make enough in tips to bring their pay up to the amount of the minimum wage.

Naturally, the gaming industry is not the only employer in the state of Nevada, so there are going to be some areas that are hit by Nevada unemployment. If these displaced workers are not well-trained in other areas, there may exist a need for some retraining, interviewing skills, and assistance with a job search. This is the area where either the Nevada Unemployment office's Employment and Training Division can assist or a private agency that may have been contracted by your former employer if you are the victim of a downsizing. It is important in these times for people who do not have all the skills they need to take advantage of any training that is offered while they are still working so that it will be already part of your resume in the event your job is no available. If your company does not offer tuition assistance, Nevada Unemployment can put you in touch with schools that will assist you with additional training so that you will be more rounded in your knowledge should you need to change career paths.

Aside from the gaming industry, Nevada has quite a few resorts that depend on tourism to survive. Lake Tahoe is one such resort as are the numerous national parks that are located in Nevada. Nevada Unemployment knows that merchants depends on these tourists to assure their employees continue working, and the state of Nevada does its part to ensure that the National Parks are kept up so that the tourists will want to return.

Of course, the leisure activities are not the only activities that one is going to find in Nevada. In fact, the biggest employers in the state of Nevada are the retailers, but based on the large turnover in that industry, it probably contributes to a great amount of the Nevada unemployment. It appears that no matter where one lives, the largest turnover is in the retail industry and/or the cashiers. Assuredly, this is not novel to Nevada unemployment, but it does play a part in the figures that are generated and considered to be the over all unemployment figures for the state. Nationwide, however, these figures are inaccurate since they do not take into consideration those who have given up looking for employment or those who are looking for work but have never utilized the services of Nevada Unemployment or that of any other state. These figures are based solely on those who are collecting unemployment benefits, and as such, the figures are not as accurate as they could be. Unfortunately, this is the only key the labor department has at its disposal, so that must be kept in mind when reviewing the statistics for each state's unemployment.

Telephone: Northern Nevada (775) 684-0350
Southerne Nevada (702) 486-0350