New Mexico's monthly jobless rate trends downward

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — There are more jobs in New Mexico than there were last year as the state's unemployment rate showed improvement for the sixth straight month.
State labor officials say the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in May. That's down from 5.4 percent in April and 6.2 percent a year ago.
Nationally, steady hiring has shrunk unemployment to 3.8 percent — the lowest since the 1960s.
While New Mexico still sits among those states with the highest jobless rates, the numbers released Friday show total nonagricultural payroll employment grew 1.7 percent over the past year. Most gains came from the private sector, which was up 13,600 jobs, or 2.1 percent.
The biggest winners include professional and business services — up by 3,800 jobs. Leisure and hospitality as well as mining and construction also saw gains.