Total employment grew to 752,600 in August from 719,300 a year ago, and the unemployment rate for the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area was at 4.3 percent, compared with 4.8 percent in August 1999. Jeff Thredgold, economic consultant to Nevada State Bank, said Nevada's small businesses have experienced one of the nation's tighter labor markets during the past few years, making it harder to find and retain good workers. That could be changing. People tend to have a little less disposable income, sales slow, consumer confidence is down. Political uncertainty surrounding the presidential election has sent the stock market into a bit of skittishness, and that might put a small dent in Nevada tourism, Thredgold said.
People are likely to stay home rather than make that trip to Vegas.
People feel wealthy when stocks are going up and might make that trip. Las Vegas tends to live by the sword and die by the sword, a little bit. Tourism has yet to feel any ripples. Visitor volume rose 5.7 percent in August to 3.13 million, and convention attendance was at 358,691, up 57.5 percent, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.