LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Major new developments are coming to the Las Vegas valley by the end of this year.
This includes the MSG Sphere, slated to open by the end of September, Durango Casino and Resort, set to open in November, and the Fontainebleau, set to open in December.
Currently, MSG Sphere is looking to fill 3,000 positions. For Fontainebleau, that number is 6,500. Durango Casino & Resort said it has filled about 40 percent of open positions and is now looking to fill 700 more open positions.
“This is probably more of a workers’ market than I’ve ever seen in my 30 years in business,” said economist John Restrepo.
UNLV economics professor Stephen Miller agrees and says this gives workers more power.
“We know in recent months and actually a couple of years now, the labor market has been extremely hot,” said Miller. “The labor has received more power in the labor market versus management. So the management is having to consider higher wages and benefits.”
Despite the competition, Durango Casino Resort Vice President and General Manager Christy Eigenrauch said their hiring campaign has drawn a lot of interest.
“We’ve had over 25,000 applicants apply so far,” said Eigenrauch. “We have scheduled over 2,000 interviews to date. We have a lot of differentiators that come with working for Station Casinos. We have free benefits for team members and their families.”
Eigenrauch said Durango is looking for the right candidate.
“We want someone that is a culture fit,” said Eigenrauch. “We are going to be a luxury destination here for locals and out-of-towners alike in the southwest area. So we're looking for team members that can deliver that top-notch service and build long-lasting, loyal relationships with our guests. That's what we pride ourselves on at Station Casinos.”
Impact on Local Economy
Local economists predict new developments in the Las Vegas valley will give a boost to tourism and tax revenues.
“When these new projects open, they get kind of blended into the whole economy,” said Restrepo. “Over the first year or year or two, it’s going to have a decent boost in gaming tax revenues as well as sales tax revenues. There will be kind of an increase in visitation because, particularly with the MSG Sphere, it’s a very unique kind of project.
But these new developments aren’t expected to affect unemployment numbers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment numbers in Nevada have remained steady in 2023 at around 5%, with most recently August’s rate reported at 5.4%.
In total, MSG Sphere, Fontainebleau, and Durango Casino & Resort is looking to fill about 10,000 positions, which isn’t enough to move the needle either way, according to economists.
“That's about 1% of leisure and hospitality employment in the valley,” said Miller. “So it’s not a huge amount.”
The potential culinary union strike
Fontainebleau and MSG Sphere have reached an agreement with the local culinary union, Culinary Local 226, to give workers the right to unionize.
Durango Casino Resort is not unionized.
This comes as members of the culinary union are set to vote on a strike next Tuesday. A majority of the workers are with MGM, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts.
“If there’s a strike that happens that involves these large employers on the Strip, it affects the entire valley,” said secretary-treasurer of the union Ted Pappageorge. “We hope these companies who are doing extremely well will realize they’re going to have to share the wealth.”
