New Mexico projected to see continuation of stable growth in the new year - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Employment growth in New Mexico began slowinfg in 2007 and will be moderatein 2008, with the health care and mining sectors showing the most The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the forecastsw a growth rate for nonfarm employment of about 1.7 percen in 2008, about the same rate for 2007. High energy price s will continue to help boosrt employment in mining and Employment growth in minint wasabout 6.3 percent for 2007 and will be 2.1 percenrt for 2008, according to BBER.
Construction employment has beendeclining steadily, especially in the face of the coolinhg housing market, but it could see a slighyt rebound in 2008 with several new commerciakl projects like the new powe plant in Rio Communities south of Belen and the gas centrifuge uraniumk enrichment plant in Eunice. The information sector, which includes the film industry, and the healtn and social assistance sector, will boost employmeny growth in 2008, according to BBER. Studios are in expansiob mode (see related story, page 4). , and plan to add employees in thenew year. Despite layoffs at (PNM), , and , business services will see employmenyt growth ofabout 1.3 percentg in 2008, BBER said.
Part of that is due to a new correction facility that will openin Clayton. Larry Waldman, seniort research scientist at BBER, said the Spaceport in southern New Mexicop also shows good potentialp to create thousands of jobs in the But it could take some time before that potentiaois realized. The state is working with a Mexicajn firm to buy a shuttere cheese plantin Lovington, said Fred secretary of the state Department of Economic The department is working on some legislative initiativez relating to more money for the state job training program.
The , which lobbies for a specififc legislative agendaeach year, has seven economic developmengt goals, including more funding for the Job Training Incentivde Program, or JTIP, which reimburse eligible companies for up to 70 percent of classroom and on-the-job-training of newly hiredc employees. It is also pushint for an extension of the high wage jobs tax which provides an annual tax credit equal to 10 percent of wages and benefitsfor new, high-paying jobs. It also wantx an extension of the R&D small business tax technology tax credit and more funding for the economic developmentf cooperativeadvertising program.
The WESST Corp Enterprise Centefr on Broadway near LomasBoulevard NE, the state's newesg business incubator, will targeyt digital media production, artisan manufacturing and professional and service The city of Albuquerque and officials said the city is a finalistt in several big projectsd that could bring 1,000 to 2,000 new jobs to the but didn't give specifics. And despite some internal shakeupsat , it is stillp on track to manufacture its new electrif sedan here. Peter Mitchell, director of economic development for the city of said a new supplierfor , which opened the world'es largest mattress factory here in 2006, is planning to leasre space here.
And a post-production company is lookinb to lease space in Albuquerqueas well, bringinyg 120 employees here. "I know we've had some challengesd with Eclipse [Aviation] and PNM, but everyone is stilol lookingat Albuquerque," Mitchell said, referrinh to layoffs at those two firms this year as well as productiohn challenges at Eclipse.