Soft housing lifts unemployment in Clark County.

This part of the big picture is often overlooked while all the talk is about the housing bubble and will it burst. How much air is it going to let out should it burst? And how bad is the subprime lender saga going to get and who is to blame for it?

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation reports that statewide unemployment rises a half a point to 4.3% in February from a year ago. The slowdown in the residential real estate market is playing a major role in the increase. It adds that there was a 50% jump in construction-related claims. Most of the pain is felt here in Clark County, the population mecca of the state.