Serving the High Plains
QCS Staff
Quay County’s unemployment rate for October was 5.2 percent, a tenth of a percentage point lower than September’s unemployment rate, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.
The October rate was eight-tenths of a percentage point lower than the 6 percent rate recorded for October 2013, department statistics show.
The county’s workforce, the number of people either employed or looking for work, was 3,807 in October, compared with 3,820 in September and 3,805 in October 2013, a workforce solutions department new release said.
Statewide, New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in October 2014, down from 6.6 percent in September and down from 6.8 percent a year ago. The national unemployment rate was 5.8 percent, down from September’s rate of 5.9 percent and down from 7.2 percent in October 2013, the new release said. .
The rate of over-the-year job growth for non-farm payroll employment, comparing October 2014 with October 2013, was 1.1 percent, representing a gain of 9,100 jobs. Net job gains have been steadily increasing since June 2014 after eight months of year-over-year losses. Gains in nine industries more than offset losses in four others, the new release said.
Education and health services continued to add considerably more new jobs than other industries, with an increase of 4,900 jobs, or 3.9 percent, over the year. Financial activities showed an increase of 2,000 jobs, or 5.9 percent, over the year. Mining posted its highest rate of growth of 2014, with employment up 1,700 jobs, or 6.4 percent.
Government employment registered a net loss of 200 jobs since October of last year, representing a 0.1 percent decline. Most losses occurred within federal and state government, each of which shed 200 jobs. The local government sector gained 200 jobs, representing a 0.2 percent increase.