Saturday, August 25, 2018

Job Growth, Much Improved, Remains Well Behind Neighboring States

Wage jobs grew 2.2%, or 8,600, in Albuquerque for the year between July 2017 and July 2018. That was the same percentage growth turned in by the entire state for the year.
New Mexico’s 2.2% year over year increase tied for 15th placed nationally with Massachusetts. That said, our neighbors remain well ahead. Utah’s 3.9% job growth led the nation. Texas grew 3.2%, Colorado, 3.1% and Arizona, 2.7%.
The figures come from the July issue of the Labor Market Review, the newsletter of the Department of Workforce Solutions, which was released yesterday afternoon.
For the state’s other three metro areas, well, not so much. Santa Fe added 1,000 jobs for 1.6% growth. Farmington added 300, a 0.6% increase for the year.
Las Cruces wage employment shrank by 700 jobs, or 1.0%.
Professional and business services led the Albuquerque growth with a 6.1% increase, or 3,700 jobs. With a 7.3% increase that meant 1,700 new jobs, construction led the percentage growth.
Leisure and hospitality, which led statewide sector growth with 6,500 jobs, or 6.6%, brought only 900 of those jobs to metro Albuquerque.
The Las Cruces job losses come in the face of firms around the Santa Teresa port of entry hiring as fast as possible. Just over half the Santa Teresa workers come from El Paso, a function of proximity and El Paso’s larger labor pool.
Las Cruces has been in a job loss mode for most of the past 18 months. Government seems to have carried the burden of producing those job losses.
Leisure and hospitality led Santa Fe’s growth with 800 new jobs over the year, a 7% increase.

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