Nevada leads US workforce growth as economy broadens beyond casinos

Nevada recorded the fastest workforce growth in the US over the year to April 2026, with a 1.9% increase compared with a 0.2% national gain, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The state accounted for about 12% of new US jobs over that period despite having roughly 1% of the country’s population.

The figures mark a notable expansion for an economy long associated with casinos, tourism and entertainment. Nevada officials and local development groups attribute the performance to a multiyear effort to broaden the state’s business base, helped by proximity to California, available land and demand tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure.

David Schmidt, chief economist at Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said the state is now being discussed alongside larger growth markets such as California, Texas and Florida. He described recent labor-market readings as “really remarkable numbers.”

Professional and business services contributed the largest share of Nevada’s job growth over the past year, which Schmidt linked to the state’s tax environment. Education and health services also added strongly, in line with a national pattern in which health care has supported payroll gains.

Mining and infrastructure demand have also played a role. Schmidt said companies have continued to look at Nevada for mine development and expansion, with lithium resources attracting interest because the mineral is used in batteries. He also cited the state’s large land area, about 110,000 square miles, as a factor for companies considering data centers and other AI-related facilities.

The breadth of hiring has helped offset weakness in gaming. The Nevada Gaming Control Board reported this month that the largest Las Vegas Strip casinos posted a revenue decline of nearly 4% between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025. Even so, the Las Vegas metro area has become less dependent on gaming: the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance said its analysis of federal data showed about 60% of new jobs in the region from 2016 to 2025 came outside hospitality, construction and government.

Government employment was one of the few areas to shrink in Nevada over the past year. Schmidt said the state was less exposed than others to President Donald Trump’s push to restrain government hiring because Nevada has a relatively small federal workforce.

Private labor-market indicators also point to stronger hiring demand than in much of the country. Indeed said Nevada job listings were about 20% above February 2020 levels, compared with roughly 2% nationally. ManpowerGroup found worker demand held up better in Nevada than in the average state during the second quarter. Gusto, a payroll platform for small and mid-sized businesses, told CNBC its data showed Nevada’s net hiring rate below the national rate for smaller employers, suggesting larger firms may be driving much of the increase.

Nevada’s unemployment rate remains above the national average on a seasonally adjusted basis. Stephen Miller, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said that may reflect a labor force still recovering from the pandemic shock. “We’re still catching up,” Miller said, referring to the high unemployment that began in 2020.

Employers also have access to a relatively active labor pool. Nevada’s labor force participation rate is above the US average, a measure that counts working-age residents who are employed or seeking work. Kris Roach, chief executive of LV Petroleum, said the company hired hundreds of workers over the past year for restaurants and travel centers and often received more than 100 applications for management openings.

Population growth has reinforced the employment story. Federal data show Nevada’s resident population rose more than 62% from 2000 to 2025, compared with about 21% nationally. A Missouri-based government research group found Nevada’s cost of living in the first quarter was lower than in neighboring California, Idaho and Arizona. Average hourly pay in Nevada increased 5.8% from 2024 to 2025, the fifth-fastest rise among states, according to a CNBC analysis of BLS data.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.