LAS VEGAS — Nevada's unemployment rate continued its climb in July, reaching 6.6 percent, as nearly 95,000 Nevadans were out of work, according to a report released Friday.

The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation report shows the seasonally adjusted rate was up from 6.4 percent in June which marked a 14-year high.

The report shows Nevada is struggling more than the nation at large. The July figure compared to a national jobless rate of 5.7 percent.

Nevada's economy depends heavily on industries that have been hit hardest by the economic downturn, including housing, construction and tourism. Two massive casino construction projects on the Las Vegas Strip have stalled. The state continues to lead the nation in rates of foreclosure.

The downturn has forced state and local governments to make massive cuts services, and has some looking for new sources of tax revenue.

Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons issued a statement calling the state's economic condition "difficult" and repeating his commitment not to raise taxes.

"It's important that state government do everything it can to encourage the creation of new jobs and attract new businesses to Nevada," Gibbons said. "This includes resisting pressures to increase taxes on business to meet the state's revenue shortfall, which would put even greater strains on already struggling companies and put more Nevadans out of work."

Total employment statewide during July was about 1.3 million. The 95,000 unemployed is a 40 percent increase from July 2007.

Las Vegas appears to have been hit the hardest. Nearly 67,000 people were out of work in southern Nevada in July, that an increase of 4,000 people since June.

For the Las Vegas area, non-seasonally adjusted unemployment increased from 6.5 percent to 6.8 percent between June and July. The Reno area saw non-seasonally adjusted unemployment increase from 6.4 percent to 6.5 percent in the same period.

Carson City-area unemployment fell slightly from 6.7 percent to 6.5 percent between June and July. Unemployment in Elko and Eureka counties fell from 4.1 percent to 4 percent from month to month.