If you’re looking for a Reno construction job, you may have a tough time finding work.

The Reno-Spark’s area’s construction industry took the biggest hit of any industry during December 2008 when compared to the previous year. According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry employed 14,900 workers during December, down from 16,200 workers during November and a 25.9 percent decrease when compared to the previous year.

The Reno area also has an extremely high unemployment rate. The area’s unemployment rate spiked from 7.8 percent during November to 9 percent during December, which is higher than the national unemployment rate of 7.2 percent.

As the unemployment rate continues to accelerate, more Reno jobs continue to be lost. The area had a total non-farm employment of 216,500 workers during December, down from 218,200 workers during November and a 4.8 percent decrease from the previous year.

The industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment during December include:

  • construction by 25.9 percent
  • manufacturing by 2 percent
  • trade, transportation and utilities by 1.4 percent
  • information by 3.6 percent
  • financial activities by 5 percent
  • professional and business services by 2.3 percent
  • leisure and hospitality by 7.7 percent
  • government by 1 percent

The only industries to see an over-the-year increase in jobs during December was education and health services by .5 percent. The natural resources and mining industry employed 400 workers during December, the same as 2007, and the other services industry employed 7,300 workers, also the same as 2007.