LAS VEGAS – As part of the ongoing Clark County Monitoring Program, Clark County, Nevada in partnership with Urban Environmental Research (UER) has released the Indicator Brief for the third quarter of 2009, tracking economic, fiscal, public health and safety, environmental and demographic trends in Southern Nevada.
“This report outlines a variety of important facts and encouraging trends that we are witnessing in Southern Nevada,” said Sheila Conway, managing partner of UER. “The effects of the recession in Nevada are clear, but the good news from this report is that there are areas where our community is moving forward and seeing improvement.”
Conway noted that while the economy of Southern Nevada continues to struggle in the midst of the historic recession, the report highlighted a few signs of economic improvement, including the fact that initial jobless claims fell 18.9 percent from the previous quarter and 35 percent from the peak in Dec. 2008. Additionally, the State of Nevada ranks second in the nation for the Small Business Survival Index 2009, making it one of the best business environments in the country.
Also in spite of the economic downturn, Southern Nevada gross population in-migration rates, or the rate people are moving to the valley, showed some signs of improvement over the prior quarter. For example, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle’s offices reported that driver’s license surrenders increased by 7 percent, which equated to 957 individuals surrendering an out-of-state license for a Nevada driver’s license.
While an economic decline often is correlated with an increase in crime, the brief reports that law enforcement statistics showed more than an 8 percent decrease in violent crimes and more than a 13 percent decrease in property crimes over the same year-to-date reporting period in 2008. Specifically, homicides declined by 8 percent, robberies declined by over 10 percent, burglaries declined over 8 percent, and auto thefts declined almost 22 percent.
Conway added that the report also states that greater economic diversification is a likely area for businesses to focus upon going forward. Currently, Southern Nevada continues to move forward towards greener energy generation solutions with support from federal grants, including more than $17 million in federal funding being utilized to promote energy conservation and clean energy generation. UER continues to work to provide solutions to reduce energy consumption including creating a means to determine which communities have the highest consumption levels so planners can target conservation efforts where they are needed most.
The Clark County Monitoring Program was developed to provide a foundation for ongoing policy discussions and a baseline from which economic, fiscal or social changes could be monitored over time. Additional information about the program as well as the entire Indicator Brief and its complete findings can be found at: www.monitoringprogram.com.
About Urban Environmental Research (UER)
UER is improving the way our communities work and live by providing specific solutions through expert research, innovative products and training services. Founded in 1998 and based in Las Vegas, Nev., this internationally recognized consulting firm offers the public and private sectors sustainable solutions that enhance community vitality by addressing the complex interactions of social, economic, security and environmental issues.
