Martinez lifts state hiring freeze

Gov. Susana Martinez is ending the state hiring freeze she put in place during late March, when New Mexico’s cash reserves were dwindling and the two-term Republican threatened furloughs to save money.

The restrictions on new hiring were lifted because the state now appears set to end the budget year June 30 in the black, a spokesman for the State Personnel Office confirmed Thursday. In addition, Martinez’s administration is no longer considering forcing employees to take time off without pay.

With New Mexico’s finances improving and its workforce shrinking, some lawmakers have questioned whether the hiring freeze was necessary or might have added to workloads of some agencies already stretched thin.

A recent analysis by the legislative staff found nearly 20 percent of rank-and-file jobs in state government are unfilled. The rate had hovered between 13 percent and 15 percent in recent years, and the ranks of New Mexico’s civil service have shrunk from more than 25,000 in 2009 to about 21,500 so far this year. Martinez took office in January 2011.

Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/martinez-lifts-state-hiring-freeze/article_89e55f75-1363-5a83-a3de-f385a089fde4.html