Friday, August 24, 2012

18 Other States and NM Lose Jobs in July

Once again New Mexico lost jobs from the previous year. July is the month in question today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the state numbers last Friday and the Department of Workforce Services added details today.

The loss was 2,800 wage jobs on a seasonally unadjusted basis from July 2011. New Mexico was one of 19 states to lose jobs for the period, the BLS said.

The metro areas led the way with all four losing jobs. The total metro job loss was 5,000 from July 2011 through July 2012. That means the rural counties gained 2,200 jobs, reducing the total loss to the 2,800 reported.

Albuquerque led the lost way with 1,900 jobs gone away, followed by Santa Fe which was down 1,200. Las Cruces was close with 1,100 jobs lost. Farmington, the smallest population metro, lost the least, with 800 jobs gone.

Albuquerque’s job losses “improved,” if that’s the word, from a June 2011 to June 2012 loss of 3,700 jobs.

Statewide, DWS said, educational and health services, up 3,200 jobs, again posted the largest year over year increase, followed by leisure and hospitality (i.e. tourism), up 2,800. Mining gained 1,400 jobs, continuing more than two years of growth. Manufacturing added 1,000.

Professional and business services led the lost way, down 4,400 jobs, year-over-year. Speculation from the Martinez administration at this week’s LFC meeting suggests the losses are national laboratory related. Lab contractors are the first to shed employees.

DWS guesses that Las Cruces losses have to do with New Mexico State University and school districts. These jobs will return.

Unfortunately the DWS job report is politicized. The Martinez administration won’t let DWS say that job losses are bad. Well, if jobs losses can't be called "bad," are the losses good. Neutral?

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