By Jim Owen

The official unemployment rate in Grant County in October was 6.6 percent, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.

That was the same percentage that officials reported the previous month, but down from 7.3 percent in October 2013. Last month, 778 of the county's 11,784-member labor force were out of work and actively looking for jobs.

In September, the department counted 770 unemployed workers among a labor force of 11,638. The figures for October 2013 were 854 of 11,744.

Just nine New Mexico counties reported higher jobless rates last month. In the southern half of the state, only Luna County (at 11.3 percent) ranked higher.

The department announced that Silver City, Grant County, Catron County and Deming are among the areas that will share a $30,000 grant. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural-development program provided the funding to the New Mexico Recycling Coalition.

"The grant, part of the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program, supports the development of small and emerging business enterprises in rural communities and cities with up to 50,000 residents," officials explained in a news release.

In another employment-related development, Hidalgo Medical Services has learned it will receive $4 million in Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) funding.

HMS, which operates 16 clinics in southwest New Mexico, has been awarded an additional $138,543 to offer new services and extend operating hours, the department's release noted.

A review of recent job postings in Grant County reveals that Gila Regional Medical Center has several open positions. The state personnel office in Silver City is looking for cooks, a highway maintenance worker, a municipal court license clerk and an investigation case worker.

Other Silver City listings include those for a parts adviser at the Lawley auto dealership, a delivery driver for Pizza Hut and a delivery person for Car Quest Auto Parts.

In Catron County, the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in October, when 86 people (out of a labor force of 1,546) were jobless. That was up from 81 of 1,559 (5.2 percent) in September, but down from 103 of 1,583 (6.5 percent) in October 2013.

Hidalgo County's rate fell from 6.9 percent in July, and 5.4 percent in September, to 5.1 percent last month. It was 5.5 percent a year ago.

The unemployment statistics in Sierra County were 4.9 percent last month, 5 percent in September and 5.6 percent in October 2013.

Statewide, 55,080 people (5.9 percent of the labor force) were counted as unemployed in October, down from 6.1 percent the previous month and 6.7 percent in October 2013. The nationwide statistics were 5.5 percent last month, 5.7 percent in September and 7 percent a year ago.

Official rates include only workers who have registered at state unemployment offices. The numbers do not include residents who are looking for work on their own, those who have given up searching, part-time employees or the under-employed.

Department officials wrote:

"The rate of over-the-year job growth for nonfarm payroll employment, comparing October 2014 with October 2013, was 1.1 percent, representing a gain of 9,100 jobs.

"Net job gains have been steadily increasing since June 2014, after eight months of year-over-year losses. Gains in nine industries more than offset losses in four others.

"Education and health services continued to add considerably more new jobs than other industries, with an increase of 4,900 jobs (3.9 percent) over the year. The last four months of employment gains in this industry have exceeded 4,000, and have been the highest since April 2009.

"Financial activities continued to show positive signs, with an increase of 2,000 jobs (5.9 percent) over the year. This month, mining posted its highest rate of growth of 2014, with employment up 1,700 jobs (6.4 percent).

"Miscellaneous other services improved on last month's return to positive growth, adding 1,500 jobs (5.4 percent) over the year. Retail trade's growth was somewhat muted in October compared with higher gains earlier in the year, adding 1,000 jobs (1.1 percent) over the year.

"Information, up 700; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 500; leisure and hospitality, up 400 jobs; and wholesale trade, up 100 jobs, each contributed smaller increases.

"The remaining three private-sector industries reported losses. Manufacturing was down 2,300 jobs (7.7 percent). Employment
within professional and business services was down 1,000 jobs (1 percent).

"Construction employment was down for the ninth consecutive month, though losses have settled at a lower rate than earlier in the year, losing 200 jobs (0.5 percent).

"Government employment registered a net loss of 200 jobs since October of last year, representing a 0.1 percent decline. Most losses occurred within federal and state government, each of which shed 200 jobs. The local government sector gained 200 jobs, representing a 0.2 percent increase," the department reported.

Earlier this month, the federal government announced that the nation's unemployment was at its lowest level since 2008, though about 9 million people were still looking for jobs. Another 770,000 who had given up the search were categorized as "discouraged workers."

Employers across the country added 214,000 jobs in October, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was down slightly from the monthly average of 222,000 during the past year.

The industries producing the most new jobs have been in low-wage settings like "food services and drinking places, retail trade and health care," the BLS reported.