Editing New Mexico (section)

=== Wealth and poverty ===
New Mexico is one of the [[List of U.S. states and territories by poverty rate|poorest states in the U.S.]] and has long struggled with [[Poverty in the United States|poverty]].<ref name="Chief-2021"/> Its poverty rate of roughly 18% is among the highest in the country, exceeded only by Louisiana and Mississippi. In 2017, nearly 30% of New Mexico's children were in poverty, which is 40% higher than the national average.<ref name="usnews.com"/> The majority of births (54%) were financed by [[Medicaid]], a federal healthcare program for the poor, the third highest of any state.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 17, 2019|title=Births Financed by Medicaid|url=https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/births-financed-by-medicaid/|access-date=2021-08-18|website=KFF|language=en-US|archive-date=August 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813095515/https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/births-financed-by-medicaid/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of May 2021, around 44% of residents were enrolled in Medicaid.

New Mexico ranks 39th in the [[List of U.S. states by the number of millionaire households|share of households]] with more than $1&nbsp;million in wealth (5%), and among fourteen states without a [[Fortune 500]] company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Fortune 500 companies 2020, by state|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/303696/us-fortune-500-companies-by-state/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Statista|language=en|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206201517/https://www.statista.com/statistics/303696/us-fortune-500-companies-by-state/|url-status=live}}</ref> The state has a relatively high level of [[List of U.S. states by Gini coefficient|income disparity]], with a [[Gini coefficient]] of 0.4769, albeit below the national average of 0.486. Household income is slightly less than $47,000, which is the fourth lowest in the U.S. The unemployment rate for June 2021 is 7.9%, tied with Connecticut as the highest in the country, and close to the peak of 8.0% for June–October 2010, following the [[2008 financial crisis]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics|url=http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST35000003?data_tool=XGtable|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029150330/http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST35000003?data_tool=XGtable|archive-date=October 29, 2012|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

The New Mexico government has enacted several policies to address chronic poverty, including approving a [[Minimum wage in the United States|minimum wage]] increase in January 2021 and requiring paid sick leave.<ref name="Chief-2021">{{Cite news|last=Chief|first=Dan Boyd|title=NM considering statewide guaranteed basic income program|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2418234/nm-considering-statewide-guaranteed-basic-income-program-ex-policy-would-provide-lowincome-residents-with-regular-aid-payments.html|access-date=2021-08-10|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|date=August 9, 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=August 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810231725/https://www.abqjournal.com/2418234/nm-considering-statewide-guaranteed-basic-income-program-ex-policy-would-provide-lowincome-residents-with-regular-aid-payments.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The state's minimum wage of $10.50 is [[Minimum wage in the United States#State laws|higher than]] that of the federal government and 34 other states;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Consolidated Minimum Wage Table|website=U.S. Department of Labor|url=https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/mw-consolidated|access-date=2021-08-10|archive-date=January 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101180619/https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/mw-consolidated|url-status=live}}</ref> it is set to increase to $11.50 on January 1, 2022, and $12.00 on January 1, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions > Labor Relations > Resources > Minimum Wage Information|url=https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Minimum-Wage-Information|access-date=2021-08-10|website=www.dws.state.nm.us|archive-date=August 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810231731/https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Minimum-Wage-Information|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, counties and municipalities have set their own minimum wages; Santa Fe County enacted a "Living Wage Ordinance" on March 1, 2021, mandating $12.32.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Santa Fe County: Living Wage Ordinance|url=https://www.santafecountynm.gov/livingwage|access-date=2021-08-10|website=www.santafecountynm.gov|archive-date=August 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810231731/https://www.santafecountynm.gov/livingwage|url-status=live}}</ref>

The New Mexico Legislature is considering implementing a statewide [[Universal basic income|guaranteed basic income]] program targeting poorer residents; if enacted, it would be only the second U.S. state after California with such a policy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Santa Fe just agreed to send some parents $400 per month – and New Mexico could take it statewide|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/santa-fe-just-agreed-to-send-some-parents-24400-per-month-and-new-mexico-could-take-it-statewide/ar-AANhHec?ocid=uxbndlbing|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.msn.com|archive-date=August 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816140816/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/santa-fe-just-agreed-to-send-some-parents-24400-per-month-and-new-mexico-could-take-it-statewide/ar-AANhHec?ocid=uxbndlbing|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2021, Santa Fe announced a one-year pilot program that would provide a "stability stipend" of $400 monthly to 100 parents under the age of 30 who attend [[Santa Fe Community College]];<ref>{{Cite news|author=T. S. Last|title=Santa Fe signs on to guaranteed income program|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2400456/santa-fe-signs-on-to-guaranteed-income-program.html|access-date=2021-08-16|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|date=June 16, 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=August 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816140817/https://www.abqjournal.com/2400456/santa-fe-signs-on-to-guaranteed-income-program.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the results of the program will determine whether the state government follows suit with its own basic income proposals.<ref name="McDevitt">{{Cite web|last=McDevitt|first=Michael|title=Las Cruces will open bids for economic relief programs. One could be guaranteed basic income|url=https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2021/08/11/las-cruces-covid-federal-relief-funds-basic-income-pilot-program/5555531001/|access-date=2021-08-16|website=Las Cruces Sun-News|language=en-US|archive-date=August 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816140817/https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2021/08/11/las-cruces-covid-federal-relief-funds-basic-income-pilot-program/5555531001/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Chief-2021" /> Las Cruces, the state's second largest city, is officially discussing the enactment of a similar program.<ref name="McDevitt"/>