Elko County continues to see steady economic growth in a number of different indicators. Countywide employment has been trending upward over time, finishing 2.8 percent higher year over year in October 2018 following 2.1 percent year-over-year growth in September 2018. This employment growth has helped keep Elko County’s unemployment rate among the lowest in the state at 3.0 percent in October 2018, which ranked second among Nevada counties behind only Eureka County’s2.5 percent rate.

Elko County’s unemployment rate was far below the statewide rate of 4.2 percent and compares even more favorably to the 4.4 percent rate recorded in Clark County. While Elko County has reported significant decreases in unemployment, the decrease has been a part of a broader statewide trend. Initial unemployment insurance claims in Nevada during September 2018 declined 8.6 percent year over year to 8,289, the lowest monthly number since 1998. The 20-year low comes despite an overall employment increase of 50 percent and a population increase of 72 percent over that timeframe.

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