NM Employment Down Due To Government Job Losses

The federal government reports New Mexico and two other states had the nation's largest percentage job losses last month.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says there was a 0.5 percent employment drop from May to June in New Mexico, Vermont and Wisconsin.  New Mexico's Workforce Solutions Department reports there a month-to-month loss of 4,000 jobs. The private sector gained 2,800 jobs but government employment dropped by 6,800, with most of that in state and local education.

New Mexico's employment was down about 1,700 jobs or 0.2 percent from June 2011.

The unemployment rate dipped to 6.5 percent in June, down from 6.7 percent in May and 7.5 percent in June 2011. Economists say some of the decline is because people have stopped looking for jobs.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.