New Mexico was the number one growth state in construction job activity between September of 2024 and this most recent September, far outpacing the usual big growth states of California, Florida, and Texas.
In just-released figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Land of Enchantment enjoyed a big 12.4% jump in construction employment, greatly outpacing all the 49 other states.
But most remarkable about the New Mexico figures is how well they stack up against most of the states of the West, in particular Colorado, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming, where the job rate was off by anywhere from a low of 0.4% in Wyoming, to a high of 5.0% in Nevada.
While no other state came close to New Mexico’s 12-month performance, the four states that, with New Mexico, share the top five category in job growth represent a scattershot regional picture: Idaho was up by 7.5%, followed by Alaska at 7.1%, Kentucky at 6.9%, and West Virginia, routinely scored for a lack of economic growth, up by 6.5%.
The new BLS figures, which were delayed due to the fall government shutdown, overall showed employment growth in 31 states, as well as the District of Columbia.
In raw numbers, New Mexico saw a job jump from 54,100 in September of 2024 to 60,800 this past September, according to an Associated General Contractors of America survey of the new numbers.
According to separate figures just released by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, nonagricultural employment was up by 13,800 during that same time, followed by a nice 8,700-job gain in the private sector.
December 16, 2025
By Garry Boulard
New Mexico postcard
