SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A panel of New Mexico lawmakers and private-sector experts says the state needs to add 151,000 jobs over the next decade to offset attrition and return to pre-recession employment levels.
The New Mexico Legislative Jobs Council released a report Thursday that lays out goals for boosting employment and reversing a trend of outward migration.
The council says some regions in New Mexico are having more difficulty identifying new opportunities for employment, particularly across the Eastern Plains and southwestern and south-central portions of the state.
New Mexico has the national’s second highest unemployment rate behind Alaska. Economic development efforts by the state government are hampered by a budget crisis linked to a downturn in the oil and natural gas sectors.
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