Southern Nevada has lost approximately 1,300 retail jobs since peaking almost 2½ years ago, but retail construction growth remains a bright spot for the industry, according to a new Colliers report.
The Las Vegas metro region’s retail employment sector hit a recent high-water mark in November 2023, when the industry employed 114,500 people, but has since dropped, according to the commercial real estate firm’s fourth-quarter report for 2025.
Colliers executive vice president Deana Marcello said retail growth in the valley is still booming in one area specifically, bringing with it accompanying jobs.
“Retail development in Southern Nevada is increasingly concentrated in high-growth suburban corridors, with the Southwest submarket clearly leading the market,” she said.
Most of the retail construction completed last year was in the southwestern portion of the valley, according to the Colliers report, along with also leading in overall absorption of square footage by leasing or buying.
As of December 2025, there were 113,200 retail jobs in Southern Nevada, a 2 percent drop since November 2023, according to figures from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, which Colliers used for its report on Southern Nevada.
However, Colliers said in an email response to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that retail employment rates have remained fairly “static” and that retail employers may be increasing productivity without having to increase payrolls as vacancy rates have fallen in the first quarter of this year.
Retail sales in Southern Nevada also saw no growth in 2025, at $30.5 billion. Eating and drinking places saw a 3.6 percent drop in taxable sales of $12.6 billion over the same period.
Overall unemployment in Southern Nevada was at 6 percent in November 2024, and then dropped to 5.5 percent in November 2025. Over the past 12 months up until the end of last year, total employment in Southern Nevada decreased by 3,200 jobs.
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.
