New Mexico added 11,200 jobs over the past year, giving the state the seventh-fastest job growth rate in the nation in September. Construction, health care, retail trade and mining were among the major contributors.
New Mexico added 11,200 jobs over the past year, achieving 1.3% year-over-year employment growth, the seventh-fastest rate nationally and more than four times the national average of 0.3%. Construction, mining, health care and retail trade led gains, while local government hiring helped offset federal job losses.
Private-sector employment rose by 8,400 jobs across most industry categories. State officials cited the figures as evidence of successful economic diversification efforts, despite federal workforce instability. New Mexico ranked third among Southwestern states for job growth, behind Nevada and Utah, though its unemployment rate stood at 4.7% in September.
State employment rose 1.3% year over year, more than four times the national rate of 0.3%, according to employment figures released this week.
Construction led the gains among major industries, adding 2,800 jobs, a 5.1% increase. Mining added 1,400 jobs, up 5.6%, while manufacturing added 600 jobs, up 2.2%.
Together, the three goods-producing industries grew by 4.4%, making them a major contributor to overall employment growth in the state.
Health care and social assistance added 3,700 jobs, a 2.8% increase, with continued growth in services that support patients, families and communities.
Retail trade added 2,200 jobs, a 2.3% increase, while wholesale trade grew by 3.3%.
Overall, private-sector employment rose by 8,400 jobs, with seven of the nine private industry categories posting year-over-year increases.
“While high costs and tepid job growth squeeze families across the country, New Mexico is charging straight into those headwinds, and we’re gaining ground,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.
“We’re building, manufacturing, and caring for people, and we’re opening doors for working families in every corner of the economy we’ve invested in. That’s a model for the country,” she said.
Government employment also contributed to the overall increase, especially at the local level.
Local government added 4,200 jobs, including 2,700 in local education, helping offset a year-over-year decline of 2,000 federal jobs, or 7%.
Despite the contraction in the federal workforce, total employment increased as both private-sector employment and local government employment expanded.
“Despite continued instability in the federal workforce, these numbers show that our efforts to diversify New Mexico’s economy are working,” Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair said.
“Contractors are building, health care providers are hiring and manufacturers are expanding. New Mexicans are going to work in every corner of the state,” she said.
Among Southwestern states, New Mexico ranked third for year-over-year job growth, behind Nevada and Utah, which each posted 1.4% growth.
New Mexico outpaced Texas at 1.1%, California at 0.8%, Arizona and Oklahoma at 0.7% each, Colorado at 0.5% and Wyoming at 0.4%.
Despite the job gains, New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7% in September.
The figures show growth across construction, natural resources, manufacturing, health care, retail, and local education amid an affordability crisis and declining growth nationwide.
