Las Vegas casino hotels cut 700 jobs as unemployment falls to 4.8%
Las Vegas unemployment held at 4.8% in September 2026, down from 5.7% a year earlier, while casino hotels cut approximately 700 positions.
Unemployment rate improves year-on-year
The Las Vegas unemployment rate held steady at 4.8% in September, unchanged from August but down sharply from 5.7% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the 1.22 million-person civilian labor force in Las Vegas, 59,310 workers were unemployed as of September 2026.
The metropolitan statistical area for Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas ranked 328th among the 387 monitored areas across the country, the federal agency reported. Statewide, Nevada unemployment stood at 4.7% in September, down from 5.2% in September 2025.
Casino hotels reduce workforce
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reported that Las Vegas casino hotels cut approximately 700 jobs between September 2025 and September 2026. Jobs directly on the casino floor remained flat from a year ago.
MGM Resorts, the largest employer in Las Vegas, accounts for approximately 50,000 jobs on the Las Vegas Strip. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, both affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent around 60,000 casino resort workers in Las Vegas and Reno.
Job growth in other sectors
About 20,000 jobs were added in the Las Vegas metro from September 2025 to September 2026, with professional and business services accounting for the bulk of the hirings at 11,100 positions. As of September, nearly 303,000 people worked in leisure and hospitality in Southern Nevada, the largest industry in the region.
Sources
- Casino.org News · Industry media · primary source ·
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