The oil- and gas-producing counties of Eddy and Lea in Permian Basin lead New Mexico in construction job growth. The Santa Fe New Mexican said Eddy County led the state with 610 new construction jobs in 2019Q1 (an increase of 24.9 percent), according to statistics from the state’s Department of Workforce Solutions. And neighboring Lea County added 498 jobs in 2019Q1, the second highest among the state’s 33 counties. The New Mexican added, “Those two counties in the Permian Basin plus the San Juan Basin near Farmington have pushed New Mexico to third in the nation in oil production and ninth in natural gas production.”
Missi Currier, CEO of Economic Development Corp. of Lea County, told the New Mexican, “As the oil and gas industry continues to fuel southeastern New Mexico’s economy, the need for residential and commercial construction continues to rise in Lea County.”