Native Vote 2026.
New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) responded Friday morning to new economic data showing the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate ticked upward.
Economists had expected the economy to add roughly 50,000 to 60,000 jobs, making the decline a significant surprise and raising concerns about slowing economic momentum. The unexpected drop in payrolls pushed the unemployment rate to 4.4%, according to the latest federal labor report.
Job losses were spread across several sectors, including health care, manufacturing, information services, transportation and warehousing, and the federal government. Health care alone lost about 28,000 jobs, largely due to strike activity affecting physician offices.
The February report also included downward revisions to previous months, reinforcing concerns about a cooling labor market. December’s payroll figures were revised from a reported gain to a loss of 17,000 jobs, while January’s job growth was slightly reduced. Taken together, the revisions leave average job growth over the past three months near zero.
Economists say the weaker labor data could complicate decisions for the Federal Reserve as policymakers weigh interest-rate policy amid broader economic uncertainty and global pressures.
Haaland responded to the report in a statement:
“Donald Trump broke his promise to lower costs and protect our jobs. He is doing everything EXCEPT helping Americans.
“In just the first two months of this year, Trump and his administration killed two American citizens, shut down the government, carried out more harmful tariffs, and intervened in Venezuela and Iran. Not only are prices going up, families continue to fall behind and now the economy has lost 92,000 jobs with hiring remaining stagnant.
“In Trump’s America, we are sicker, hungrier, and poorer. We need leaders to stand up to these cruel policies so families and working people can find opportunities in their state and get ahead. I’m running because we need strong, experienced state level leadership to insulate New Mexico and deliver at home.”
