Three studies, three bad results for New Mexico
By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE, N.M. — It’s been a rough week for New Mexico when it comes to national studies.
Three surveys came out, and all three put the Land of Enchantment in a less-than-enchanting light:
WALLETHUB: According to Wallet Hub’s figures, New Mexico has 15.22 federal employees per capita,
Wallet Hub, a website aimed at small business owners and consumers, came out with a report to learn which states were the most and least dependent on federal dollars. New Mexico finished in a tie with Mississippi for the most dependent. According to Wallet Hub’s figures, New Mexico has 15.22 federal employees per capita, 37.9 percent of its state revenue can be traced to the federal government, and for every $1 that New Mexico pays in federal income taxes the state receives $2.83 in federal money.
The Wallet Hub study was criticized by some conservative outlets and hailed by progressives because its overall findings were more favorable to blue states — Illinois and New Jersey finished in the top five. But that didn’t help New Mexico, which has been trending more blue in recent years.
Click here for details of the Wallet Hub study.
DROPOUTS: Only three states have a lower percentage than New Mexico when it comes graduating college students enrolled in four-year institutions.
Only three states have a lower percentage than New Mexico when it comes graduating college students enrolled in four-year institutions. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s annual report, just 45.3 percent of the students in New Mexico were able to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. That’s compared to the national average of 63.3 percent.
And while 82.3 percent of students across the country who are enrolled full-time in college managed to earn degrees, New Mexico’s percentage for full-time students was 70.2, the lowest in the nation.
The only good news? The results were worse last year, when less than 42 percent of New Mexico college students received a bachelor’s degree within six years.
Click here to look at the details of the report.
BROKE: Don’t feel like you’re getting ahead financially? For many in New Mexico, that’s a common complaint.
Don’t feel like you’re getting ahead financially? For many in New Mexico, that’s a common complaint.
Only Maryland and West Virginia turned in lower results than New Mexico’s 1.7 percent figure in an annual report of personal income growth, according to a study conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Overall, New Mexico finished 48th in the country, comparing numbers from 2012 to 2013.
Compare that to North Dakota, which turned in an ultra-robust personal income growth rate of 7.6 percent.
Click here to read the details of the bad news.
Contact Rob Nikolewski at rnikolewski@watchdog.org and follow him on Twitter @robnikolewski
