Growing Our Economy and Creating Jobs

Michelle is making New Mexico’s economy work for the everyday New Mexican.

Michelle’s top priority has been growing and diversifying New Mexico’s economy—because  booming industry and job opportunities all across the state are critical to ensuring that New Mexico families and communities thrive. By supporting small businesses, helping to create thousands of jobs, and spurring the investment of billions of dollars in New Mexico’s economy, Michelle is delivering on her promise to grow and diversify New Mexico’s economy. 

During Michelle’s tenure, New Mexico has ranked in the top 10 for  job growth in the country overall. As one of her first actions in office, Michelle redesigned New Mexico’s economic development tools, which have helped create over ten thousand jobs in every corner of our state. That’s a record high for New Mexico, and with Michelle’s support it will only go higher.

Michelle has prioritized making New Mexico more business-friendly. As a result of Michelle’s leadership, exciting new companies invested heavily in New Mexico and established New Mexico partners dramatically increased their investments. Michelle cut red tape making it easier for businesses to thrive and encouraging hundreds of businesses to relocate to our state. Working alongside business and community leaders, Michelle has helped create a real pipeline of jobs and opportunity in our state—making New Mexico the frontier of economic growth under her leadership.

Michelle isn’t just focused on attracting exciting new businesses and entrepreneurs to New Mexico, she’s also making sure we’re using New Mexico’s powerful economic tools to grow our small businesses right here at home. Michelle’s efforts have also supported the expansion of homegrown companies like Bueno Foods in Albuquerque and Saputo Dairy in Las Cruces.

Michelle kept her campaign promise to legalize cannabis, partnering with small businesses, advocates, and legislators to create an entirely new statewide economic industry in New Mexico that prioritizes homegrown microbusinesses and local producers. Thanks to Michelle, legalization will pave the way for a new economic driver in New Mexico, creating over 11,000 new jobs, raising an estimated $20 million in revenue for the state in the first year, and amounting to over $318 million in annual sales of recreational cannabis. Legal cannabis is going to create thousands of jobs and serious tax revenue for local governments to support local services in every corner of New Mexico.

With new investments in vocational training, higher education and certificate programs, Michelle is also building a workforce right here at home that will strengthen and grow New Mexico’s economy for years to come. Through New Mexico’s Job Training Incentive Program, Governor Lujan Grisham helped companies train over 5,000 workers while earning competitive salaries. New Mexico’s workforce is the powerhouse of our economy—which is why Michelle has made strides for workers. Michelle raised New Mexico’s minimum wage and transformed New Mexico workers’ retirement pension funds giving workers  the comfort they need to ensure that when retirement comes, their pensions will be safe. She also passed legislation guaranteeing paid-sick leave for every employee in the state, giving every New Mexican the chance to make a living wage so they can support themselves and their families.