Counties With the Highest Unemployment in New Mexico

Canva

Counties with the highest unemployment in New Mexico

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in New Mexico using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in New Mexico.

1 / 33

Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock

#33. Los Alamos County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,076 people (215 unemployed)

2 / 33

Canva

#32. Eddy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,341 people (841 unemployed)

3 / 33

Canva

#31. De Baca County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 709 people (20 unemployed)

4 / 33

Canva

#30. Curry County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,337 people (620 unemployed)

5 / 33

Canva

#29. Union County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 1,516 people (44 unemployed)

6 / 33

Gestalt Imagery // Shutterstock

#28. Lincoln County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,880 people (274 unemployed)

7 / 33

Canva

#27. Colfax County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,186 people (165 unemployed)

8 / 33

Underawesternsky // Shutterstock

#26. Grant County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,063 people (387 unemployed)

9 / 33

Jimack // Shutterstock

#25. Santa Fe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 73,133 people (2,337 unemployed)

10 / 33

Robin Nations // Shutterstock

#24. Roosevelt County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,264 people (270 unemployed)

11 / 33

Canva

#23. Lea County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,356 people (997 unemployed)

12 / 33

Canva

#22. Bernalillo County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 344,557 people (11,621 unemployed)

13 / 33

Canva

#21. Rio Arriba County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,985 people (612 unemployed)

14 / 33

turtix // Shutterstock

#20. Sandoval County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 69,518 people (2,475 unemployed)

15 / 33

Canva

#19. Harding County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 272 people (10 unemployed)

16 / 33

Canva

#18. Hidalgo County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,715 people (63 unemployed)

17 / 33

Cheri Alguire // Shutterstock

#17. Chaves County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,321 people (1,019 unemployed)

18 / 33

Canva

#16. Guadalupe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,590 people (61 unemployed)

19 / 33

Kristi Blokhin // Shutterstock

#15. Otero County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,868 people (963 unemployed)

20 / 33

Canva

#14. Valencia County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,684 people (1,253 unemployed)

21 / 33

Canva

#13. Catron County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,172 people (50 unemployed)

22 / 33

Canva

#12. Quay County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,874 people (125 unemployed)

23 / 33

Canva

#11. Socorro County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,070 people (263 unemployed)

24 / 33

Canva

#10. Taos County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,153 people (648 unemployed)

25 / 33

Canva

#9. San Juan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,761 people (2,161 unemployed)

26 / 33

Canva

#8. San Miguel County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,524 people (458 unemployed)

27 / 33

David Langford // Shutterstock

#7. Dona Ana County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 103,053 people (4,720 unemployed)

28 / 33

Canva

#6. Torrance County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,446 people (269 unemployed)

29 / 33

Canva

#5. Mora County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,926 people (98 unemployed)

30 / 33

StockPhotoAstur // Shutterstock

#4. McKinley County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,881 people (1,193 unemployed)

31 / 33

Canva

#3. Cibola County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,309 people (442 unemployed)

32 / 33

Canva

#2. Sierra County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,811 people (271 unemployed)

33 / 33

Rosemarie Mosteller // Shutterstock

#1. Luna County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 13.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,201 people (1,377 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.