New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions

401 Broadway N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87102

EMPLOYMENT NEWS RELEASE

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions will post data online concurrently with the releases listed at
www.dws.state.nm.us under Labor Market Information.

Susana Martinez
Governor

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: Joy Forehand (505) 250-3926
Economic Research & Analysis Bureau
P.O. Box 1928, Albuquerque, NM 87103
For Release: March 14, 2016

Celina Bussey
Secretary

News Release For Business Editor

New Mexicos seasonally adjusted unemployment was 6.5 percent in January 2016, down from 6.6 percent in December and up from
6.4 percent a year ago. The national unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, down from 5.0 percent in December and down from 5.7 percent
in January 2015.
Total nonfarm payroll employment contracted by 1,800 jobs, or 0.2 percent, between January 2016 and January 2015. January was
the second month in which total nonfarm employment losses were reported since October 2012. (Following annual revisions to the
employment survey data, growth in October 2015 also turned negative.) The private sector shed 600 jobs, representing a decline of 0.1
percent. The goods-producing industries were down 8,100 jobs, or 8.2 percent. Most of these job losses were in mining. The serviceproviding industries (including government) were up 6,300 jobs, or 0.9 percent. Five industries added jobs and eight posted losses.
The industry with the largest and fastest over-the-year employment growth in January was education and health services, which was up
7,300 jobs, or 5.6 percent. This represents the industrys fastest rate of over-the-year growth since July 2003. Leisure and hospitality (up
2,000 jobs, or 2.2 percent) has reported growth in every month since October 2010. Professional and business services was up 1,100
jobs, or 1.1 percent, representing the industrys largest numeric growth since August 2013. The three industries accounted for just under
90 percent of total gross gains in January. Construction employment was up 800 jobs, or 1.9 percent. (Following annual revisions, the
industry was shown to have been in continuous growth since May 2014.) Miscellaneous other services posted a gain of 400 jobs, or 1.5
percent.
The decline in global oil prices continues to take its toll on mining and industries that serve the mining industry. Mining contracted by
7,700 jobs, or 26.6 percent, in January. Losses over the last three months were each greater than the industrys previous trough of 5,000
losses in September 2009. Growth began to decline in December 2014, and over-the-year losses have increased each month since going
negative in March 2015. Losses in the industry show no signs of abating in the short term, though recent increases in the price of oil
may have an impact in the future. Declines in other industries linked to mining also continued. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
(down 1,500 jobs, or 6.1 percent) suffered its greatest loss since March 2010. The industrys growth turned negative in September of last
year. January was the manufacturing industrys thirty-ninth consecutive month of negative growth. The industry was down 1,200 jobs, or
4.3 percent. Wholesale trade (down 800 jobs, or 3.7 percent), retail trade (down 700 jobs, or 0.8 percent), information (down 200 jobs,
or 1.7 percent), and financial activities (down 100 jobs, or 0.3 percent) each posted smaller losses.
Government employment was down 1,200 jobs, or 0.6 percent. This was mostly due to over-the-year losses in local government (down
1,200 jobs, or 1.2 percent), specifically in local government education (down 1,600, or 2.9 percent). State government posted a loss of
100 jobs, or 0.2 percent, which was offset by a gain of 100 jobs, or 0.3 percent, in federal government.
The annual revisions referred to in this release are the result of the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual benchmarking, in which the Current
Employment Statistics estimates are anchored more closely to employment reported in the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Detailed analysis will be provided in the Labor Market Review scheduled for release on March 21.

###

Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment

(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Preliminary
Jan-16

NEW MEXICO
TOTAL NONFARM EMPLOYMENT

814,900

TOTAL PRIVATE
GOODS-PRODUCING
SERVICE-PROVIDING

628,300
90,800
724,100

Revised
Dec-15

833,000

639,500
93,800
739,200

Revised
Jan-15

Change
Yearly
Monthly

628,900
98,900
717,800

-18,100

-11,200
-3,000
-15,100

-1,800

816,700

-600
-8,100
6,300

MINING & LOGGING

21,200

22,700

28,900

-1,500

-7,700

CONSTRUCTION

43,100

43,800

42,300

-700

800

MANUFACTURING

26,500

27,300

27,700

-800

-1,200

WHOLESALE TRADE

20,600

21,200

21,400

-600

-800

RETAIL TRADE

91,800

96,500

92,500

-4,700

-700

TRANSPORTATION, WAREHOUSING & UTILITIES

23,100

24,000

24,600

-900

-1,500

INFORMATION

11,500

12,000

11,700

-500

-200

FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

33,100

33,300

33,200

-200

-100

PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS SERVICES

99,500

100,400

98,400

-900

1,100

138,300

137,000

131,000

1,300

7,300

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

91,700

93,200

89,700

-1,500

2,000

OTHER SERVICES

27,900

28,100

27,500

-200

400

186,600
28,800
55,500
24,200
102,300
53,400

193,500
29,000
59,000
27,100
105,500
55,900

187,800
28,700
55,600
24,900
103,500
55,000

-6,900
-200
-3,500
-2,900
-3,200
-2,500

-1,200
100
-100
-700
-1,200
-1,600

EDUCATION & HEALTH SERVICES

GOVERNMENT
Federal Government
State Government
State Government Education
Local Government
Local Government Education

U.S. Labor Force Estimates

JANUARY 2016
Labor Force
Seasonally Adjusted
Not Seasonally Adjusted

158,335
157,347

Empl.
150,544
149,037

Unemp.
7,791
8,309

DECEMBER 2015
Rate
4.9%
5.3%

Labor Force
157,833
157,245

Empl.
149,929
149,703

Unemp.

JANUARY 2015
Rate

7,904
7,542

5.0%
4.8%

Labor Force
157,025
156,050

Empl.
148,104
146,552

Unemp.

Rate

8,920
9,498

5.7%
6.1%

Note: Numbers are in thousands.

New Mexico Labor Force Estimates

(Not Seasonally Adjusted Unless Noted as SA)
PRELIMINARY J ANUARY 2016
Labor Force
STATEWIDE SA
STATEWIDE

914,920
913,800

Albuquerque MSA SA
Albuquerque MSA
Bernalillo
Sandoval
Torrance
Valencia

411,615
316,862
60,238
5,353
29,162

Farmington MSA SA
Farmington MSA

55,072

Las Cruces MSA SA

Las Cruces MSA

92,022

Santa Fe MSA SA
Santa Fe MSA

71,515

Catron
Chaves
Cibola
Colfax
Curry
De Baca
Eddy
Grant
Guadalupe
Harding
Hidalgo
Lea
Lincoln
Los Alamos
Luna
McKinley
Mora
Otero
Quay
Rio Arriba
Roosevelt
San Miguel
Sierra
Socorro
Taos
Union

1,133
27,388
9,194
5,758
21,803
861
29,374
12,169
1,630
277
1,945
28,784
8,393
8,327
10,259
24,050
2,224
24,836
3,138
16,157
7,906
10,891
3,871
6,438
14,951
1,823

Empl.

Unemp.

855,781
59,139
854,816
58,984
See notes below.
387,586
24,029
299,156
17,706
56,463
3,775
4,858
495
27,109
2,053
See notes below.
50,763
4,309
See notes below.
85,259
6,763
See notes below.
67,763
3,752
1,018
25,713
8,526
5,414
20,814
821
27,961
11,342
1,522
256
1,815
26,644
7,891
8,007
8,142
21,851
1,993
23,479
2,913
14,851
7,495
10,044
3,516
5,992
13,680
1,748

115
1,675
668
344
989
40
1,413
827
108
21
130
2,140
502
320
2,117
2,199
231
1,357
225
1,306
411
847
355
446
1,271
75

Rate

REVISED DECEMBER 2015

Labor Force

6.5%
6.5%

914,719
921,441

5.8%
5.6%
6.3%
9.2%
7.0%

416,461
320,644
60,856
5,496
29,465

7.8%

55,204

7.3%

93,986

5.2%

72,040

10.2%
6.1%
7.3%
6.0%
4.5%
4.6%
4.8%
6.8%
6.6%
7.6%
6.7%
7.4%
6.0%
3.8%
20.6%
9.1%
10.4%
5.5%
7.2%
8.1%
5.2%
7.8%
9.2%
6.9%
8.5%
4.1%

1,256
27,496
9,121
5,637
21,722
844
29,484
12,409
1,675
286
2,039
28,384
8,472
8,339
9,871
24,060
2,214
24,633
3,129
16,285
8,064
10,972
3,968
6,488
14,994
1,911

Empl.

Unemp.

854,625
60,094
864,386
57,055
See notes below.
392,863
23,598
303,239
17,405
57,132
3,724
5,014
482
27,478
1,987
See notes below.
51,146
4,058
See notes below.
87,587
6,399
See notes below.
68,427
3,613
1,142
25,834
8,471
5,303
20,752
808
28,114
11,597
1,567
265
1,914
26,342
7,981
8,013
7,945
21,942
2,002
23,254
2,915
15,062
7,668
10,178
3,646
6,042
13,769
1,838

114
1,662
650
334
970
36
1,370
812
108
21
125
2,042
491
326
1,926
2,118
212
1,379
214
1,223
396
794
322
446
1,225
73

Rate

REVISED JANUARY 2015

Labor Force

6.6%
6.2%

921,490
920,052

5.7%
5.4%
6.1%
8.8%
6.7%

412,763
317,518
60,517
5,393
29,335

7.4%

55,738

6.8%

92,013

5.0%

70,768

9.1%
6.0%
7.1%
5.9%
4.5%
4.3%
4.6%
6.5%
6.4%
7.3%
6.1%
7.2%
5.8%
3.9%
19.5%
8.8%
9.6%
5.6%
6.8%
7.5%
4.9%
7.2%
8.1%
6.9%
8.2%
3.8%

1,157
27,300
9,202
6,020
21,985
841
29,883
12,369
1,609
292
2,016
30,919
8,492
8,293
10,912
24,348
2,279
25,101
3,235
16,090
8,006
10,940
3,827
6,505
15,311
1,835

Empl.

Unemp.

862,224
59,266
858,101
61,951
See notes below.
386,397
26,366
298,225
19,293
56,274
4,243
4,850
543
27,048
2,287
See notes below.
52,173
3,565
See notes below.
84,897
7,116
See notes below.
66,731
4,037
1,040
25,708
8,457
5,629
20,928
802
28,653
11,504
1,472
268
1,874
29,587
7,944
7,965
8,416
21,871
2,006
23,542
3,000
14,651
7,591
10,052
3,416
6,001
13,783
1,743

117
1,592
745
391
1,057
39
1,230
865
137
24
142
1,332
548
328
2,496
2,477
273
1,559
235
1,439
415
888
411
504
1,528
92

Rate
6.4%
6.7%
6.4%
6.1%
7.0%
10.1%
7.8%
6.4%
7.7%
5.7%
10.1%
5.8%
8.1%
6.5%
4.8%
4.6%
4.1%
7.0%
8.5%
8.2%
7.0%
4.3%
6.5%
4.0%
22.9%
10.2%
12.0%
6.2%
7.3%
8.9%
5.2%
8.1%
10.7%
7.7%
10.0%
5.0%

Notes: Current MSA SA labor force estimates will be released March 21 in the January 2016 Labor Market Review publication and the NMDWS LASER system,
both available under the Labor Market Information tab at http://www.dws.state.nm.us/. All MSA SA series from January 1990 forward are available through LASER
and from the BLS at http://www.bls.gov/lau/metrossa.htm. Revised 2015 MSA SA estimates will be released in May.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.

County Unemployment Rates, January 2016

(Not Seasonally Adjusted)