Proposed budget cuts could soon affect those with a Nevada teaching job.

Under the 2009-2011 budget, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has proposed a 6 percent pay cut for state workers, school teachers and university employees. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041, which represents about 5,000 state workers, says the salary cuts would result in higher taxes for workers.

According to an article by KRNV, Lynn Warne, head of the Nevada State Education Association, which represents teachers, said the pay cuts, which could lead to Nevada job cuts, are irresponsible.

“(The proposed cuts show) a lack of leadership to seek to balance the budget on the backs of teachers and state employees,” Warne said in the article.

Nevada’s education and health services industry employed 96,800 workers during November 2008, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 96,700 workers during October 2008 and a 3.1 percent increase from last year.

Although Nevada’s education industry is thriving, the state’s economy as a whole is continuing to decline. During November, Nevada had a total non-farm employment of 1,276,300 workers, down from 1,279,300 workers during October and a 1.2 percent decrease from last year.

The state had an unemployment rate of 8 percent during November, up from 7.7 percent during October and higher than the national unemployment rate of 6.7 percent.