Counties with the highest unemployment rate in New Mexico

NEW MEXICO (STACKER) — Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023.

The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now. As of August of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.1% higher than in May, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.8% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in New Mexico and 5.2% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in New Mexico using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in July 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.

33. Los Alamos County

• Current Unemployment rate: 2.5%
  — 1 month change: +0.1%
  — 1 year change: -1.2%
  -Total Labor Force: 10,161 (249 unemployed)

32. Union County

• Current Unemployment rate: 3.1%
  — 1 month change: -0.1%
  — 1 year change: -2.0%
  -Total Labor Force: 1,545 (48 unemployed)

31. Harding County

• Current Unemployment rate: 3.2%
  — 1 month change: 0.0%
  — 1 year change: -3.0%
  -Total Labor Force: 283 (9 unemployed)

30. De Baca County

• Current Unemployment rate: 3.4%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -3.4%
  -Total Labor Force: 677 (23 unemployed)

29. Curry County

• Current Unemployment rate: 3.7%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -2.2%
  -Total Labor Force: 21,241 (790 unemployed)

28. Eddy County

• Current Unemployment rate: 3.9%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -3.5%
  -Total Labor Force: 31,795 (1,249 unemployed)

27. Hidalgo County

• Current Unemployment rate: 3.9%
  — 1 month change: -0.1%
  — 1 year change: -2.7%
  -Total Labor Force: 1,787 (69 unemployed)

26. Roosevelt County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.1%
  — 1 month change: -0.4%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 8,412 (345 unemployed)

25. Santa Fe County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.1%
  — 1 month change: -0.1%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 73,347 (3,024 unemployed)

24. Bernalillo County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.2%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -3.1%
  -Total Labor Force: 335,509 (14,179 unemployed)

23. Colfax County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.5%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -1.6%
  -Total Labor Force: 5,181 (232 unemployed)

22. Sandoval County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.5%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -3.2%
  -Total Labor Force: 67,952 (3,087 unemployed)

21. Grant County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.8%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -3.8%
  -Total Labor Force: 11,526 (554 unemployed)

20. Otero County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.8%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -3.0%
  -Total Labor Force: 25,276 (1,208 unemployed)

19. Socorro County

• Current Unemployment rate: 4.8%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 6,009 (288 unemployed)

18. Doña Ana County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.0%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 98,347 (4,966 unemployed)

17. Valencia County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.0%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -3.2%
  -Total Labor Force: 31,069 (1,565 unemployed)

16. Lincoln County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.1%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 8,308 (424 unemployed)

15. Rio Arriba County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.1%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -2.8%
  -Total Labor Force: 16,579 (842 unemployed)

14. Quay County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.2%
  — 1 month change: 0.0%
  — 1 year change: -2.8%
  -Total Labor Force: 2,895 (150 unemployed)

13. Chaves County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.3%
  — 1 month change: -0.4%
  — 1 year change: -3.0%
  -Total Labor Force: 26,524 (1,417 unemployed)

12. San Juan County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.7%
  — 1 month change: -0.4%
  — 1 year change: -3.6%
  -Total Labor Force: 48,628 (2,790 unemployed)

11. San Miguel County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.7%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 10,894 (619 unemployed)

10. Guadalupe County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.8%
  — 1 month change: -0.5%
  — 1 year change: -2.1%
  -Total Labor Force: 1,722 (100 unemployed)

9. Catron County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.9%
  — 1 month change: +0.5%
  — 1 year change: -0.8%
  -Total Labor Force: 1,089 (64 unemployed)

8. Mora County

• Current Unemployment rate: 5.9%
  — 1 month change: -0.6%
  — 1 year change: -0.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 2,059 (122 unemployed)

7. Lea County

• Current Unemployment rate: 6.0%
  — 1 month change: -0.6%
  — 1 year change: -4.7%
  -Total Labor Force: 27,703 (1,673 unemployed)

6. Sierra County

• Current Unemployment rate: 6.0%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -2.8%
  -Total Labor Force: 4,085 (247 unemployed)

5. Cibola County

• Current Unemployment rate: 6.2%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -4.4%
  -Total Labor Force: 8,826 (550 unemployed)

4. Taos County

• Current Unemployment rate: 6.3%
  — 1 month change: -0.3%
  — 1 year change: -3.3%
  -Total Labor Force: 13,777 (862 unemployed)

3. McKinley County

• Current Unemployment rate: 6.4%
  — 1 month change: -0.5%
  — 1 year change: -4.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 24,797 (1,589 unemployed)

2. Torrance County

• Current Unemployment rate: 6.4%
  — 1 month change: -0.2%
  — 1 year change: -2.9%
  -Total Labor Force: 5,407 (347 unemployed)

1. Luna County

• Current Unemployment rate: 10.1%
  — 1 month change: -1.3%
  — 1 year change: -5.2%
  -Total Labor Force: 10,051 (1,018 unemployed)