By CNBC Staff / CNBC
A sparsely populated state known for its world-class casinos and dry desert climate has become one of the brightest spots in the U.S. job market.
Nevada’s workforce grew 1.9 percent from April 2025 to April 2026, the highest rate of any state in the country, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationally, that rate inched up just 0.2 percent over the same period. Nevada accounted for roughly 12 percent of all new jobs created in the United States during that stretch.
Economic leaders in the state say the results are the culmination of a sustained push to diversify business activity well beyond gambling and entertainment.
Nevada-based job listings have grown approximately 20 percent compared with February 2020, while the national number has grown roughly 2 percent over the same period, according to data from Indeed. Staffing agency ManpowerGroup found that demand for workers held up better in Nevada than in the average state during the second quarter of 2026.
Average hourly pay in Nevada rose at one of the fastest rates nationally from 2024 to 2025, a sign that the job growth being recorded is not limited to low-wage positions.
The bulk of the hiring in Nevada appears to be concentrated among larger companies. Gusto, a payroll platform that serves small and mid-sized businesses, told CNBC its net hiring rate for Nevada came in lower than the rest of the country — suggesting the headline growth numbers are being driven primarily by enterprise-scale employers rather than small business expansion.
Source: CNBC, June 19, 2026.