Over the weekend the Department of Workforce Solutions (DWFS) announced via it’s website that the work search requirement for unemployment benefits would be reinstated immediately.  This means that for the week beginning on Sunday, those individuals receiving unemployment benefits must document and report at least two attempts to secure a employment. This requirement is now a weekly part of the conditions for continued unemployment benefits. Work search requirements for those receiving state benefits had been waived since March 2020.

As vaccination rates continue to increase and New Mexico is on the precipice of fully reopening, there has been a strong demand for employees in the workforce, but supply has been limited for multiple reasons. According to a March National Federation for Independent Business survey, 42% of business owners reported job openings they couldn’t fill — a record high, and 20 percentage points higher than the 48-year historical average of 22%. Some of the shortage of workers has been attributed to businesses opening before some schools, forcing members of the household to put off returning to work due to child care and continued distance learning. Other factors like low wages for entry level jobs and increased Government aid to unemployed persons have also been hotly debated reasons for the lack of ready workers. Click HERE for more information.