With more than 80 percent of Nevada’s lands under the control and management of the Federal Government, land transactions often require congressional acts for approval. This process can be complex and time consuming involving lengthy discussions between Federal, state, local government, and private industry officials and individuals. Various special acts of Congress have been required… Read more
Posts By: gc_staff
Labor Day Musings: Are Nevada Colleges Meeting Future Workforce Needs?
Nevada’s Governor and Legislature have placed a high priority on diversifying Nevada’s economy with high technology industries to help grow the economy and minimize the impact of future recessions. This week, Ashima, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles, announced that it is planning to move its headquarters from California to Reno, Nevada. The company aims… Read more
New State GDP Numbers Show Turning Points in Nevada’s Economy
Another new release from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis provides prototype statistics of quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) by state for the years 2005 through 2013. The numbers furnish a more complete picture of the ups and downs, and turning points, in economic growth at the state level. The statistics include both current dollar… Read more
ACT Test Results Provide Insight into College Readiness of Nevada Students
Introduction Nevada ranks 46th in the nation in the percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher (American Community Survey, 2012). Only 22.4 percent of Nevada’s population age 25 years and older has a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to the U.S. average of 29.1 percent (see Figure 1). Higher levels of education are… Read more
Is Nevada’s Unemployment Rate Higher Than We Think?
On August 15, 2014, the Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) announced that Nevada’s unemployment rate for July 2014 was 7.7 percent. The good news is that Nevada’s unemployment rate has been steadily declining since the high of 14.4 percent in 2010 (see Figure 1). However, the standard, official unemployment rate leaves out… Read more
New Consumer Spending Data Show Devastating Effect of Great Recession on Nevada, but also Positive Signs
A new report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that consumer spending in Nevada was deeply affected by the Great Recession. While this measure has improved in recent years, per capita consumer spending is still below pre-recession levels. Consumer spending is measured through an indicator called personal consumption expenditures (PCE). This data provides… Read more
Nevada Earns Praise for State Revenue Forecasting Practices
Forecasting revenue is the first step to crafting a new state budget. Nevada recently earned praise for its revenue forecasting practices in a new report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). This report argues that transparent and inclusive revenue forecasting processes can lead to a more democratic debate and greater fiscal discipline…. Read more
Douglas County Implements Innovative Priority Based Budgeting
In March 2014, Douglas County, Nevada won the Cashman Good Government Award for developing innovative budget solutions through priority based budgeting. As with many local governments in Nevada, Douglas County faced a significant structural deficit after the Great Recession. To address this deficit, Douglas County embarked on a priority-driven budget development process that included public… Read more
Nevada Tops States in Delinquent Debt
While economic data show promising signs of recovery from the Great Recession throughout the country and in Nevada, a new research brief from the Urban Institute and Consumer Credit Research Institute provides another indicator of why the Silver State continues to lag in its efforts to rebound from those difficult times. The Numbers The brief,… Read more
Kids Count report on children’s well-being reveals burden of poverty and need for education reforms
Following the release of Annie E. Casey’s Foundation’s 2014 Kids Count Data Book, much attention has been directed to the fact that Nevada ranked 50th in education for the third year in a row. Given the data cited, we cannot be surprised by the fact that Nevada ranks dead last in education. First, Nevada has… Read more