Good News on a Friday? New Mexico Adds Nearly 16,000 Jobs in Year

New Mexico added nearly 16,000 jobs from February 2014 while the unemployment rate dropped over the year, the New Mexico Department of Workforce solutions announced Friday.

With the state adding 15,900 jobs, the over-the-year job growth rate in February 2015 came to 2 percent, the department said.

"This is New Mexico's thirtieth consecutive month of over-the-year employment growth and the most substantial growth the state has seen since December 2006," reads the department's 

. "This is also the first month since May 2006 that no industry has posted an over-the-year loss in employment."

Education and health services added 4,300 jobs, it said, a gain of 3.4 percent, accounting for more than a fourth of jobs gains in the state over the year.

New Mexico's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6 percent in February, up from 5.9 percent in January, said the department. In February 2014, New Mexico's unemployment rate was 6.7 percent.

We're still behind the national unemployment rate of 5.5 percent. The only neighboring state with higher unemployment is Arizona, at 6.5 percent, according to preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics

. Utah's unemployment rate is 3.4 percent. Oklahoma's is 3.9 percent. Colorado's is 4.2 percent. In Texas, the unemployment rate is 4.3 percent.

Santa Fe Reporter