LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Democratic leaders within the Nevada Meeting are urging Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo to rent federal staff laid off as a part of current firings from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Meeting Speaker Steve Yeager and Assems. Daniele Monroe-Moreno and Sandra Jauregui despatched a letter to Lombardo on Wednesday. Nevada is house to an estimated 80,000 federal staff, the assemblymembers stated.
It was unclear what number of federal staff misplaced their jobs from the layoffs as of Wednesday. Nevada-related cuts from Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) have hit the U.S. Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Normal Companies Administration and the Division of Veterans Affairs.
“As you are aware, Nevada currently has the highest unemployment rate in the nation and lags the rest of the country in job growth, and these firings threaten to worsen the rate even further,” the letter stated. “By taking swift action to integrate the fired federal workers into vacant state government roles, we can reduce our unemployment rate, ensure that essential public services remain strong, and, most importantly, ensure that Nevadans can provide for their families.”
Nevada’s unemployment fee clocked in at 5.7% for December 2024, the newest month with knowledge out there from the Division of Employment, Coaching and Rehabilitation (DETR). The nationwide unemployment fee was 4% as of January.
Nevada Democrats management each the Nevada Meeting and Nevada Senate. Final legislative session, Democrats and Lombardo raised state worker pay, resulting in a lower in state vacancies. As of final summer season, there have been 2,000 open positions.
“Under Governor Lombardo, Nevada has seen record economic investment, led the nation in annual employment growth, and added over 30,000 employees to its labor force,” a spokesperson for the governor stated in an announcement. “Governor Lombardo simultaneously ordered state employees back to the office, implemented state hiring fairs, and modernized the state hiring process, which slashed the state vacancy rate from 25% to nearly 12%.”
The spokesperson inspired state staff to use at nvjobs.nv.gov/Jobs/Current_State_Job_Openings.
“For Governor Lombardo, state employment isn’t a political talking point: it’s been his focus since day one,” the spokesperson stated. “As an alternative of grandstanding, the Legislature can be higher off specializing in their precise job: passing laws for the betterment of Nevada.”