January’s unemployment numbers finally arrived — and they were not worth waiting for. Unfortunately, we are starting to catch up to the rest of the country.

New Mexico:
January 2010 – 8.5%
December 2009 – 8.2%
January 2009 – 5.9%

The rate for the whole nation was 9.7%

Albuquerque/Rio Rancho fared even worse:
January 2010 – 8.9%
December 2009 – 8.2%
January 2009 – 5.9%

Overall job growth in 2009 was a negative 3.3% for the state — and that is above the nation’s negative 3%.