WE HEAR HIRING IS ON THE RISE IN OTHER STATES IN THE U-S. BUT JEFF MITCHELL WITH THE UNM BUREAU OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH SAYS NEW MEXICO LAGS FAR BEHIND THOSE STATES WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING. HE TELLS US HIRING IS BETTER THAN IT WAS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THANKS TO THE OIL MARKET. HE SAYS NEW MEXICO HAS BEEN FLAT OR A BIT NEGATIVE IN HIRING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
MITCHELL SAYS HIRING IS HAPPENING IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO BECAUSE OF MINING, WHICH INCLUDES THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. IN ALBUQUERQUE AND ELSEWHERE, CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE UP. AND HEALTHCARE JOBS HAVE SLOWED. NEW MEXICO STILL HAS THE 2ND HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE COUNTRY.
