Because of the lack of jobs in the rural areas of Dona Ana County, many workers are accustomed to commuting a minimum of about 35 - 45 minutes to urban areas for work, school, shopping and recreation. The distances covered range from 25 to 75 miles. Since the commuting drive is conducted primarily on Interstates 10 and 25, the commuting times decrease. As a result, it is not unusual to find workers from several of these rural communities commuting to Las Cruces daily. This area of attraction translates to a total labor force in excess of 435,000 with an overall unemployment rate of 6.12% (February 2007). Outlying areas include parts of Grant, Luna, Sierra, Otero, and El Paso counties, and all of Dona Ana County.

The workforce in the region is abundant, educated and affordable, which is one of the reasons that Las Cruces consistently ranks as one the best small metropolitan areas in the nation to do business. The high percentage of bilingual (Spanish/English) workers in the region is another plus for a wide variety of industries.

According to the latest figures available, per capita personal income (PCPI) for the MSA was $21,677 in 2004. Median household income was $30,150 (2003) and average wage per job was $27,962 (2005) or about 70% of the U.S. average. Other county rates in the area are reflected below.

The Wadley-Donovan Group conducted a “Labor Market Assessment of the Greater El Paso Region (Dona Ana, El Paso and Otero Counties)” in the fall of 2004. Key findings regarding Dona Ana County included:

• Between 2004 and 2009, the portion of residents between the ages of 20 and 34 in Dona Ana County will increase 14.0%
• Between 1998 and 2003, Dona Ana County’s labor force saw the fastest growth rate (13.0%) compared to Otero (5.0%) and El Paso (2.3%) counties.
• The area has a hidden workforce of underemployed and not employed residents who want to work consisting of 25,211.

Other elements of the labor market assessment are available by contacting the MVEDA office.

Training
According to the US Census Bureau, 48% of the county’s population over the age of 25 has at least some college education. A total of 22,269 residents are college degreed, while an additional 25,298 adults over 25 have some college including 5,393 with associate degrees. This translates to a large, educated labor pool, easily trained to your specific needs.

Las Cruces is the home to New Mexico State University (NMSU), the state’s second largest university with over 16,000 students enrolled at its main campus, as well as Dona Ana Community College (DACC) with six (6) branch campuses in the county. These offer superior educational opportunities, both academic and technical. 

New Mexico State University

Dona Ana Community College

• Approximately 7,000 students are enrolled in a wide variety of programs
• Customized Training Programs may be tailored to meet the specific needs of an organization, including course topic and content, location, length, and time.
• Contract Training Programs have been developed for, and provided to, local banks and business, federal agencies, the public schools, government contractors, and state and local governmental agencies. 
• Community Education Program that offers courses that develop skills and abilities for the workplace. These courses are of short duration, usually spanning only a few days or weeks.
• Specialized Career Programs and Courses that provide in-depth training in 29 different fields.

For more information, see “Open for Business” and “Business Resources” tabs.