Well, New Mexico and the Albuquerque metro are are about to make back to the starting line when it comes to jobs and recovering from the Great Recession.
The only problem is that it has taken more than 10 years to get back to that starting line, and that is pathetic.
The two graphs below are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and they show just what a long climb back to the starting line it has been for the state and for the metro area.
Jobs in the metro area peaked in December of 2007, while jobs in the state reached their highest level in February of 2008.
Jobs - ABQ Metro Area
Now here's a look at the statewide situation:
Jobs - New Mexico