Cibola Reaches Pandemic-Era Record Low Unemployment
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. –
Cibola County is returning to work. The unemployment rate in Cibola is now below prepandemic levels; even with the good news, there are still 2,156 eligible people in the county that are currently unemployed. Unemployment skyrocketed largely thanks to COVID-19; Cibola County was not alone in shutting down its economy during this period of time. The shutdown did not immediately affect the unemployment numbers in Cibola, but its impact was undeniable, surging unemployment over 14 percent.
Cibola County has a workforce of 7,020 people eligible for employment. With 2,156 people still unemployed in Cibola, there are 516 job openings in the county. With so few potential jobs, there is not one available if every unemployed person wanted one.
The data in this story originates from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Connections, a state entity which track unemployment, labor forces, and the average wage of each county in the state.
How Unemployment Has Changed
Before the pandemic began, Cibola County was resting in the six percent range for unemployment, from October through December of 2019 the unemployment rate never rose above 6.3 or dropped below 6.1 percent.
January and February of 2020 saw slight gains in unemployment, going from a 6.1 percent unemployment in Dec. of 2019 to 6.7 percent in January, dropping to 6.5 percent in February.
March 15 was the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns that forced small businesses across the state and country to shut their doors. Unemployment for the month of March 2020 did not spike, closing the month at 6.9 percent.
Every month to follow would see a steady incline to the unemployment figures, capping off at 14 percent unemployment in July 2020. COVID-19 cases saw a massive spike during the month of July, following the spike in cases came the increase of unemployment. As August saw a recovery from the COVID-fueled July, unemployment numbers dropped until November, when numbers increased to 9.4 percent. In December numbers rose again to 10.9 percent, jumping to 12.1 percent in January of 2021. Unemployment dropped to 10.9 percent in February.
One year later, in March of 2021, Unemployment saw a slight drop off, going to 10.4 percent. Through 2021, in part due to a vigorous vaccination effort by the state, Cibola’s numbers continued to drop, in May unemployment sat at 9.2 percent.
In June unemployment rose to 10.4 percent, seeing a 1.2 percent increase from the previous month. The month of June did not see any massive increases in COVID-19 cases or deaths.
July saw a decrease in these numbers to 9.7 percent. By August, the unemployment rate dipped further to 7.9 percent. By December 2021, Cibola County’s unemployment rate had dipped to six percent.
January 2022 saw a 1.3 percent increase in unemployment, but it would not hold as March would see the unemployment rate dip to 6.3 percent.
While Cibola County awaits results from May, the April report gives hope for the future of Cibola’s unemployment. April saw Cibola at a 5.9 percent unemployment rate.
New Mexico’s unemployment as a whole is 5.3 percent as of April.
Cibola’s Labor Force
Cibola County has an eligible workforce of 7,020. This may appear low, but consists of people who can work in Cibola County, and does not include retirees or the severely handicapped.
The 2021 United States Census Bureau estimated in 2021 that Cibola has a population of 27,184. A large portion of Cibola County is not considered “eligible” for employment by the state. This is likely because much of the county population has aged out of work.
The average weekly wage in Cibola is $801, meaning a typical twoweek paycheck would balance out to $1,602 for the average resident of Cibola County. This is higher than 17 of the state’s 33 other counties.
The average hourly wage in Cibola County is $20.03, as Cibola tries to keep its wages competitive.
Cibola General Hospital has the highest amount of job openings in Cibola, with 38 openings as of press time. CGH is followed by CoreCivic, the private prison company, with 35 job openings across the county. They are followed by Laguna Development Corporation who has 29 job openings.
Assistance Finding Employees
NMWC offers some assistance with finding employees, allowing business owners to visit https://www.jobs.state.nm.us/vosnet/Default.aspx for tools and opportunities at recruiting new employees. NMWC does not have an office in Cibola County.
Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation can be reached at http://www.cibolaedc.com/ or 505-287-6685.
Small Business Development Center in Grants can be reached 287-6688.
The Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce can be reached at 505-287-4802.
Cibola County’s unemployment numbers
2019
October – 6.3 percent
November – 6.3 percent
December – 6.1 percent
2020
January – 6.7 percent
February – 6.5 percent
COVID-19 lockdown begins March 15
March – 6.9 percent
April – 7.6 percent
May – 9.7 percent
June – 11.3 percent
Unemployment hits its peak in July
July – 14 percent
August – 9.6 percent
September – 9.2 percent
October – 8.9 percent
November – 9.4 percent
Vaccination efforts begin in December
December – 10.9 percent
2021
January – 12.1 percent
February – 10.9 percent
March – 10.4 percent
April – 9.7 percent
May – 9.2 percent
June – 10.4 percent
July – 9.5 Percent
August – 7.9 Percent
September 7.2 Percent
October – 6.5 Percent
November – 6.5 Percent
December – 6.0 Percent
2022
January – 7.3 Percent
February – 6.7 Percent
March – 6.3 Percent
April – 5.9 Percent