Economic News

(Albuquerque, NM) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) announced that the department will receive $5,217,504 in additional grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to not only continue efforts to address Unemployment Insurance (UI) program integrity but to take the lead on one of three consortium projects in the country and expand the use of reemployment assessments to assist the long-term unemployed. New Mexico received the fifth highest grant out of more than $191 million awarded to 30 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

(Albuquerque, NM) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) announced the launch of the first video from the “Unemployment Insurance Informational Video Series” as part of the department’s outreach campaign to address Unemployment Insurance (UI) program integrity. "Search for Work" is the first video released from NMDWS' new Unemployment Insurance Informational Video Series. Beginning October 2012, the department will release a new video from the 10-video series every week, including Spanish versions.

(Albuquerque, NM) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions announced that individuals filing a Tier 1 Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) claim with an effective date of September 2, 2012 or later will be eligible for a maximum of 14 weeks of Tier 1 EUC, not 20 weeks. Those Unemployment Insurance claimants currently on Tier I benefits or eligible to claim Tier I benefits before September 2 will continue to receive Tier I payments up to 20 weeks, as part of a phase-out period. This is in accordance with the provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-96) signed into law by the President in February of this year. After September 2, the total maximum period that an Unemployment Insurance claimant can be potentially be eligible for benefits in New Mexico will be 54 weeks.

(Albuquerque) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions has been awarded $400,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) for On-the-Job Training (OJT) opportunities in New Mexico. The benefits of the funding are twofold because employers can benefit from reduced hiring and training costs for new employees, and dislocated workers, who have collected unemployment benefits for a minimum of 21.5 weeks, have the opportunity to build their network and gain valuable work experience as they reenter the workforce.

(Albuquerque) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) announced the launch of the new agency mobile website. Users who visit the agency’s website, www.dws.state.nm.us, from a mobile device will automatically view the mobile version.