Those searching for Las Vegas casino jobs may have to wait.

The Las Vegas-Paradise area saw a total non-farm employment of 927,900 workers during November 2008, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 928,700 workers during October and a .5 percent decrease from last year. The area’s leisure and hospitality industry employed 273,000 workers during November, down from 273,700 workers during October and an increase of .3 percent from last year.

In Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, gaming revenue has decreased by 8.5 percent this year to $8.3 billion, according to an article by Time. During October alone, the gaming industry declined by 24.3 percent when compared to last year, while the number of visitors decreased by 3 percent throughout the year.

Many places are struggling to stay open because of the declines, including many restaurants and other popular tourist attractions.

“They’re still going out to eat; they’re just not spending as much money,” David McIntyre, vice president of food and beverage at MGM Grand, said in the article. “They might not have that second glass of wine.”

Nevada as a whole has been struggling to close a deficit of more than $1 billion in the 2009 budget and budget projections for the next two years don’t look promising. Because of all the monetary problems, many projects are being put on hold.
Construction on Boyd Gaming’s $4.8 billion Echelon resort was stopped last August and construction isn’t expected to resume until 2010. MGM Mirage sold its Treasure Island facility to Phil Ruffin for $775 million. The company is hoping to finish construction on its $9.1 billion CityCenter.