Counties with the highest unemployment in New Mexico
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates New Mexico, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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.
Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in New Mexico.
33. Los Alamos County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,349 people (236 unemployed)
32. Eddy County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,398 people (915 unemployed)
31. De Baca County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 722 people (20 unemployed)
30. Union County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,496 people (43 unemployed)
29. Curry County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,486 people (665 unemployed)
27. Roosevelt County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,778 people (279 unemployed)
27. Grant County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,713 people (413 unemployed)
23. Lea County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,678 people (1,091 unemployed)
23. Rio Arriba County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,162 people (583 unemployed)
23. Guadalupe County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,728 people (58 unemployed)
23. Santa Fe County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 74,203 people (2,520 unemployed)
22. Bernalillo County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 351,863 people (12,524 unemployed)
21. Sandoval County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 71,079 people (2,727 unemployed)
20. Otero County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,015 people (1,016 unemployed)
16. San Miguel County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,586 people (463 unemployed)
16. Chaves County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,873 people (1,078 unemployed)
16. Mora County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,075 people (83 unemployed)
16. Hidalgo County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,552 people (62 unemployed)
15. Valencia County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,198 people (1,319 unemployed)
14. San Juan County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,245 people (2,121 unemployed)
12. Socorro County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,108 people (260 unemployed)
12. Colfax County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,063 people (216 unemployed)
10. Quay County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,835 people (126 unemployed)
10. Dona Ana County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 104,260 people (4,607 unemployed)
8. Taos County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,361 people (641 unemployed)
8. Lincoln County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,684 people (393 unemployed)
7. Harding County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 283 people (13 unemployed)
6. Catron County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: -1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,158 people (56 unemployed)
5. McKinley County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,931 people (1,171 unemployed)
4. Cibola County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,685 people (459 unemployed)
3. Torrance County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,608 people (316 unemployed)
2. Sierra County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,859 people (224 unemployed)
1. Luna County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 13.7%
--- 1-month change: +1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,383 people (1,420 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
