Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of New Mexico employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $10.50 in New Mexico. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Retail Salesperson to Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers
Retail Salesperson Job Description:
- Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers
Entry Level Requirements:
- Short-term on-the-job training
- English language proficiency
Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers Job Description:
- Supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in a department
Career Advancement Requirements:
- High School diploma or GED typically required
2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountants & Auditors
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks Job Description:
- Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required by New Mexico state law, but an associate’s degree is generally required
- Accounting training programs in New Mexico listed here
- On-the-job training
Accountants & Auditors Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Career Advancement Requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree and at least 1 year of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $180 application fee)
- Pass the AICPA ethics exam with minimum score of 90 ($189-$245)
- The New Mexico Public Accountancy Board has no requirements for U.S. citizenship or state residency, but social security number is required
3) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete an accredited nursing program in New Mexico
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Become nationally certified by an accredited agency; renewal every 2 years
Immigration in New Mexico
The following are facts about the immigrant community in New Mexico:
- Immigrants comprise 9% of the state population and 12% of the New Mexico labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment:
- Construction, 17,946 workers
- Accommodation and Food Services, 17,588 workers
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 12,618 workers
- Retail Trade, 10,135 workers
- Educational Services, 9,929 workers
- 18,935 immigrant business owners account for 17% of all self-employed New Mexico residents
- 41% of immigrants in New Mexico are naturalized and another 29% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Mexico, 72%
- The Philippines, 3%
- India, 2%
- Germany, 1%
- Cuba, 1%
- 11% of native-born New Mexicans are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign-born adults in New Mexico:
- High School diploma or less – 64%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 18%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 18%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 15%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state