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FACT BRIEF

Are unemployment benefits more “generous” in New Mexico than Texas?

By Brandy Ruiz
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YES

New Mexico offers higher unemployment benefits and is slightly more lenient about who qualifies than Texas.

The weekly benefit in New Mexico is 52.5% of a filer’s highest recent average weekly wage. Filers may receive up to 26 weeks of benefits or 60% of wages earned in the 12 months prior to filing a claim — whichever is less.

The weekly benefit in Texas is 4% of a filer’s highest recent quarterly earnings. Filers may receive up to 26 weeks of benefits or 27% of all wages earned in the 12 months prior to filing a claim — whichever is less.

Texas and New Mexico both have a maximum weekly benefit cutoff of $577. But New Mexico’s minimum benefit of $107 is higher than Texas’ $73.

New Mexico requires that filers earned wages in at least two months of the previous year, while in Texas it’s three.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Texas Workforce Commission Eligibility & Benefit Amounts
State of Texas LABOR CODE CHAPTER 207. BENEFITS
New Mexico Compilation Commission Unemployment Compensation
Texas Workforce Comission Correspondence
New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Correspondence
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El Paso Matters
El Paso Matters is a member-supported nonpartisan media organization that uses journalism to expand civic capacity in our region. We inform and engage with people in El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and neighboring communities to create solutions-driven conversations about complex issues shaping our region.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.