When you remove all the very accurate statements about ‘everyone else is worse off’, you are left with our reality: a steadily mounting percentage of unemployment and a level of negative job growth that has not been seen in 50+ years.

• New Mexico’s May unemployment level is 6.5%
• May of 2008 was 4%
• Job growth during the same time frame was a negative 2.4%

The Albuquerque/Rio Rancho area — normally much better than the rest of the state — isn’t doing any better this time.

• The unemployment rate was 7% this May.
• May of 2008 was the same as the state’s rate of 4%
• Job growth(?) also is worse than the state as a whole at a negative 2.9%.

Yuck! Anyone who things we are out of the current recession is smoking a controlled substance.