CARSON CITY, Nev. -- The number of Nevadans filing initial claims for jobless benefits fell in September to the lowest level in five years.
The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation says the 13,932 initial claims filed last month are the lowest since before the recession began in 2007. September's filings compare with 16,693 initial claims filed in the same month last year.
Initial claims peaked in December 2008 at 34,414.
State economist Bill Anderson notes that while the news is encouraging, the decline is not enough to signal a trend because initial claims typically drop in September.
The agency will release its full report on September unemployment numbers Friday.
Nevada has had the nation's highest jobless rate since May 2010.