(The Center Square) – Government employment is up in New Mexico, but so is overall unemployment.
Between November 2022 and November 2023, the state’s public sector grew by 8,200 jobs, or 4.4%. A majority (4,500 jobs) of that public sector increase came from the state government, which saw an 8.2% employment increase, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.
Most of those new state jobs (4,100 jobs) were in state government education, marking a 17.2% increase in its workforce. Excluding education, it added 400 jobs, a 1.3% increase in that sector.
Even so, year over year, the state’s seasonally adjusted employment rate increased from 3.5% to 3.9%. Slow growth in the private sector was the primary driver of this increased unemployment rate. It gained 10,600 private sector jobs, a 1.6% increase. However, this came as the state lost 5,400 jobs in professional and business services, including 1,110 jobs in financial activities.
The state saw gains in its private service-providing industries, like private education and health services (6,000 jobs); goods-producing industries, like mining and construction (5,100 jobs); and leisure and hospitality (5,800 jobs), among other sectors.
At 9.9%, Luna County has the highest unemployment rate in the state. Meanwhile, Los Alamos County (2.1%) has the lowest unemployment rate.
New Mexico plans to release a more detailed analysis of this jobs report on January 5, 2024.
One can view the state’s jobs report here.
