From the parking lot, the structure at 525 Camino De Los Marquez doesn’t seem like much. Government-issue, low, and beige. A counselor guiding someone through a laptop screen, people filling out forms at shared tables, and a phone ringing somewhere in the back that no one seems to be in a rush to answer are all examples of the different energy that exists inside on a Tuesday morning. This is one aspect of the Department of Workforce Solutions in New Mexico, and it’s busier than most people would think.
After more than 50 years at its previous location, Santa Fe’s Workforce Connection office recently moved, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that hardly made local news. That kind of story is easy to overlook. It’s not exactly shocking that a government office is moving buildings. However, it’s noteworthy that a company that has been helping job seekers for fifty years has grown to the point where it requires a larger space.
Not much has changed with regard to the core function. In order to file unemployment insurance claims, look for work, get assistance with resumes, or sign up for training programs designed to help them transition into a new field, people come here or log on remotely. For standard claims, the state operates an online portal. For those who would prefer to speak with someone, there is a phone line that is open Monday through Friday during business hours. It’s not glitzy. It’s not meant to be.
For anyone interested in New Mexico’s economy, at least, the discussion taking place behind the scenes is more fascinating. The employment market in this area seems to have changed in ways that haven’t completely stabilized yet. Employers in the tech, healthcare, and even local restaurant industries consistently describe the same issue: available workers, open positions, and a discrepancy between what one party needs and what the other can provide. Although the term “skills gap,” which has become almost cliched, is used to describe this, the underlying tension is quite real.
In a recent radio interview, Arthur Martinez, who oversees workforce programs for the Albuquerque-based Workforce Connection of Central New Mexico, argued that his organization does more than simply post job openings and host hiring fairs. It’s attempting to serve as something more akin to a bridge, connecting dormant talent with the particular needs of regional business. It’s more difficult to determine whether that’s functioning as intended from the outside. It’s not necessarily a criticism of the individuals in charge of these programs, but they often appear better in mission statements than in outcomes data.
The Santa Fe office is part of a wider statewide network that includes offices in Silver City, Taos, Albuquerque, and other places, each of which manages training and claims for a specific region of New Mexico. Since the Santa Fe location primarily serves Santa Fe County, it is impacted by changes in the local economy, including fluctuations in tourism, shifts in state government employment, and the gradual opening and closing of small businesses along the Old Santa Fe Trail and beyond.
It’s difficult to ignore how reliant this entire system is on people being aware of its existence. Many New Mexicans who are eligible for free job training or unemployment benefits are likely unaware that the office exists or believe the procedure is more difficult than it is. That’s most likely the less noticeable point of failure—not a lack of services, but a lack of knowledge about their existence.
It remains to be seen if Santa Fe’s recent expansion results in quantifiably better outcomes for job seekers. Structures grow larger. Sometimes employees don’t, at least not at the same rate. For the time being, however, the office remains open, the phone continues to ring, and someone is most likely filling out their first unemployment claim today in that beige building on Camino De Los Marquez, hoping it proceeds more quickly than they anticipate.
