By April 2020, the unemployment rate — previously around 4% in Nevada and in Las Vegas — had climbed to nearly 30%. But critics say the partial shutdown unnecessarily hurt the state and its economic center of Las Vegas. John Restrepo, a longtime Las Vegas economist, said early revenue projections show tourists are starting to return. Las Vegas has more than 50 standalone chapels, which in 2018 generated $2 billion for the local economy. The 56-year-old applied to new jobs in Las Vegas but hasn’t received callbacks, and he wonders whether it’s because of his age.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 31, 2021 12:56 UTC