New jobless claims decline in January

The number of new unemployment claims filed in Nevada continued to fall during January, but the pace of the decline is slowing.

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said that there were 23,736 new claims for unemployment insurance benefits in the state during January. That marked the 26th consecutive month in which new claims had declined.

The January figure was 6 percent below the year-earlier figure, but it was the smallest decline during the past 26 months.

"New claims for unemployment benefits represent a leading indicator for the direction of unemployment, and the ongoing decline in new claims for benefits is another sign that the employment situation in the state is slowly improving," said Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.