Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 11.6% -- which, believe it or not, is down from a high of 14.0% in October, 2010.
That rate is way above the national average of 8.2%, and was spurred ever-higher by the collapse of the state's housing market.
As the housing bubble burst, foreclosure filings spiked and many homeowners found their homes were worth less than the mortgages on them. The state's previously robust construction industry folded.
Nevada's economy has slowly started to improve, but the housing market is still a stumbling block. Government efforts to help borrowers, many led by the Obama administration, have failed to achieve large-scale success.
Mitt Romney performed very well in Nevada's Republican primary, in part due to a strong turnout from the state's Mormon population. Coupled with a weak economy, that puts the Obama campaign on the defensive.
