New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in August 2011, down from 6.7 percent in July and 8.5 percent a year ago. The national unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent. The decline in New Mexico’s unemployment rate for August was the sixth in a series since the rate peaked at 8.7 percent at the start of the year. This drop was again the result of workers leaving the labor force rather than an increase in employment.

…so the raw numbers look good but only because people have given up.