NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – As the Trump Administration looks to reduce the size of government, state leaders said they are ready to help federal workers who lost their jobs. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions said around 140 unemployment claims this month have come from federal workers. At last check, Secretary Sarita Nair said New Mexico has around 30,000 federal workers, including around 2,200 on probationary status.
She said it’s hard for them to know how many of those workers lost their jobs unless they file for unemployment. The most claims so far have come from Albuquerque followed by Carlsbad, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, and Las Cruces. Several claims have come from areas around national forests. “You know, we are treating this like we treat the fires and the floods. This is a significant event that we are expecting to impact our communities,” said Secretary Nair.
The secretary said they have a team dedicated to federal employment claims and it is prepared to ramp up efforts if more workers lose their jobs.