NM’s unemployment rate highest of any state in US

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | March 24, 2022 | Matthew Narvaiz

[CedarDave]

New Mexico’s unemployment rate was the highest of any state in January, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

The unemployment rate for New Mexico stood at 5.9%, according to the data, with the District of Columbia coming in last at a rate of 6.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stands at 4%.

“There’s tons of jobs out there,” said Ruby Quintana, branch manager for Express Employment Professionals in Albuquerque. “I don’t know of (any company) that is paying minimum wage anymore.”

(New Mexico’s statewide minimum wage increased to $11.50 in January.)

Barachin acknowledged that job seekers are wanting more money – and for good reasons.

“It’s not enough,” Barachin said of the pay he is offering at his bakery. “Why? Rent has gone up; gas has gone up – everything has gone up. … We understand.”

The unemployment rate was slightly higher than the previously recorded month in December 2021, when about 5.8% of the state’s workforce remained jobless. And a year-over-year comparison to January 2021 shows that New Mexico’s unemployment rate dropped from 7.4%.

In Bernalillo County, the state’s most populous county, the unemployment rate stood at 4.9%.

[CedarDave]

Live in ABQ or Santa Fe, lots of low wage jobs.

Down in the oil patch, low wage jobs but also many high paying jobs requiring skills and experience go wanting. Those high paying jobs will dwindle as Biden's and Gov. MLG's anti-oil and gas climate change minions continue shutting down leasing, drilling, and denying ROW's for pipelines and access roads.

[CedarDave]

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[dsrtsage]

If only they could get the artsy fartsy democrats in Taos and Santa Fe to vote demonrat

[Its All Over Except ...]

How can there be a 4% national unemployment rate when the labor participation rate is at Carter years levels?

[momincombatboots]

They hourly rates for entry level positions are unsustainable.

[Its All Over Except ...]

Then we don’t have a 4% unemployment percentage and it’s actually much higher.

[Repeal The 17th]

Various levels of government classified millions of workers as “non-essential”.
I think this had a serious psychological impact to a lot of people,
who now feel hopeless about their future.

[moovova]

Hah!

Your article above...”NM moves to focus on race, ethnicity in K-12 classrooms”...tells me the state is doing what they can to give the kids a good sound education to fill all of those high-level jobs.

[Delta 21]

Ain’t gotta work when you ride govt tit.
You guys got any more of those “stimulus checks”?

[ridesthemiles]

Biden’s numbers have been imaginary since early 2021.

[caver]

Does New Mexico have a number of illegals? Maybe they are working off the books and are not counted?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Sixty two years ago jobs were everywhere in New Mexico. Dad could find a job almost immediately from the Farmington gas fields to the Roswell and Carlsbad oil fields.

And why he suddenly pull up and moved to the Ozarks, a place he never lived, we never found out.

Schools were also great! So what has happened to my home state?

[olivia3boys]

NM is a poorly managed state. My son drove from CA to NC in the summer of 2020—he said of all the states he drove through, NM was the most terrified of covid and didn’t want anyone out of state eating there or getting gas or staying in a hotel.

It’s kind of a shithole state and it’s a shame; it used to be beautiful and could be again. . .like San Francisco.

[Carthego delenda est]

“It’s kind of a shithole state and it’s a shame; it used to be beautiful and could be again. . .like San Francisco.”

Thanks!!! (Seriously)