By Eli Segall, Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 5, 2025
Despite Las Vegas’ ongoing tourism slump, Southern Nevada gained thousands of jobs in September as consumer spending also picked up speed, state data shows.
Employment in the Las Vegas area increased by 4,400 jobs, a bump of 0.4 percent, from August to September, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
The report, released Thursday, was delayed by the lapse in federal appropriations, and the numbers reflect the labor market prior to the more than month-long U.S. government shutdown, the department said.
Statewide, the leisure and hospitality sector alone gained 5,100 jobs, according to the department.
All told, the boost in employment isn’t the only sign that Las Vegas’ economy could now be heading in a better direction, though local executives have by no means been ready to celebrate.
Southern Nevada business leaders’ confidence fell this quarter to the lowest level since the Great Recession, amid weak tourism and economic uncertainty, according to UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research.
Narrower losses
America’s casino capital has been grappling this year with a drop in tourism, the region’s main economic engine. But the year-over-year declines in monthly visitor totals have been narrowing lately.
Las Vegas’ visitor volume in October was down 4.4 percent from the same month last year, whereas in July, visitation fell 12 percent from the same month a year earlier, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data.
Overall, around 32.3 million people visited Las Vegas this year through October, down 7.6 percent, or a drop of more than 2.6 million people, from the same 10-month stretch last year, the LVCVA reported.
Consumers were also cutting back earlier this year on buying cars and clothes and dining out in the Las Vegas Valley. But lately, this spending has been on the rise.
Food services and drinking places in Clark County logged nearly $1.08 billion in taxable sales in September. That was up about 1 percent, or $10.4 million, from the same month last year, according to a report from the Nevada Department of Taxation.
Clothing, shoe and jewelry stores also recorded more than $384 million in sales in September, up 7 percent, or more than $25 million, from the same month a year earlier.
‘Slowing path’ for economy
Las Vegas is packed with restaurants, bars and retail stores that cater to the masses of tourists who come here. But other spending categories seem largely confined to locals.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers in Clark County logged around $529.5 million in sales in September, up 4.5 percent, or $22.7 million, from the same month last year.
Also, local furniture, electronics and appliance retailers booked nearly $185 million in monthly sales, up 14 percent, or $22.8 million, from a year earlier, the taxation department reported.
Overall, UNLV’s center for business research recently predicted a “slowing path” for Nevada’s economy.
Andrew Woods, the center’s director, said in a news release last month that Nevada’s economy and tourism sector “will continue to hit some bumps in the road over the next two years, but we believe it will smooth over as businesses and consumers work through the current economic uncertainty.”
He also alluded to the long-sought goal of further diversifying Nevada’s economy.
To sustain economic growth, he said, officials need to invest in long-term planning to help workforce development, innovation, and infrastructure that “supports sectors beyond just leisure and hospitality.”
Contact Eli Segall at [email protected] or 702-383-0342.