Find a Job You Really Want In
Anticipating a job hunt in 2020?
If so, you might be nervous about the state of your local job market or curious how it stacks up to rival cities. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2020 it was easiest to find a job in New Mexico.
Here are the ten hottest job markets in New Mexico.
The 10 Hottest Job Markets In New Mexico
- Santa Fe
- Carlsbad
- Farmington
- Albuquerque
- Rio Rancho
- Hobbs
- Los Lunas village
- Gallup
- Roswell
- Clovis
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in New Mexico. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How we determined the best job markets in New Mexico
We used the most recent Census American Community Survey to pull data for the main New Mexico metro areas. We only looked at cities with a working civilian population above 5,000.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job market in New Mexico.
Each metro-area was ranked 1-to-14 in four categories:
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Household Income Change
- Current Average Household Income
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Carlsbad area had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.0%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 14 metro areas from 1-to-14. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
1. Santa Fe
Unemployment Rate: 5.04%
Average Income: $80,331
2. Carlsbad
Unemployment Rate: 4.03%
Average Income: $75,486
3. Farmington
Unemployment Rate: 5.68%
Average Income: $75,051
4. Albuquerque
Unemployment Rate: 6.26%
Average Income: $69,996
5. Rio Rancho
Unemployment Rate: 7.03%
Average Income: $75,602
6. Hobbs
Unemployment Rate: 7.24%
Average Income: $74,388
7. Los Lunas village
Unemployment Rate: 6.78%
Average Income: $64,954
8. Gallup
Unemployment Rate: 8.12%
Average Income: $62,789
9. Roswell
Unemployment Rate: 6.01%
Average Income: $56,517
10. Clovis
Unemployment Rate: 7.68%
Average Income: $58,230
MEASURING THE BEST JOB MARKETS In New Mexico
You might be reading this and thinking, ‘Hey, I live in Carlsbad and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!’ That’s entirely possible.
While Carlsbad and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in New Mexico, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Carlsbad will have an easier time than those in cities near the bottom of the list.
Detailed List Of The Hottest Job Markets In New Mexico
| Rank | Place | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Fe | 5.04% |
| 2 | Carlsbad | 4.03% |
| 3 | Farmington | 5.68% |
| 4 | Albuquerque | 6.26% |
| 5 | Rio Rancho | 7.03% |
| 6 | Hobbs | 7.24% |
| 7 | Los Lunas Village | 6.78% |
| 8 | Gallup | 8.12% |
| 9 | Roswell | 6.01% |
| 10 | Clovis | 7.68% |
| 11 | Las Cruces | 7.76% |
| 12 | Alamogordo | 5.78% |
| 13 | Portales | 10.93% |
| 14 | Sunland Park | 8.24% |











