Udall, Heinrich, Luján Recognize LANL Contributions to State Economy, Employment

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) commended findings from an independent economic-impact analysis released Tuesday, which found that Los Alamos National Laboratory is responsible for creating 24,169 jobs in New Mexico. 

The Economic Impact report, developed by the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), found that the Los Alamos National Laboratory contributes $3.1 billion to the states’ economy and “brings out-of-state dollars into New Mexico, provides moderate to high-wage jobs to New Mexicans, supports New Mexico businesses and contributes to state and local tax revenues.”

Additionally, the impact report found that the Los Alamos National Laboratory supports the direct employment 11,882 persons at an average salary of $112,386 per employee and that the economic impact on the seven counties surrounding the laboratory equals 15 percent of their total gross domestic product.

 “Los Alamos National Laboratory and its employees play a vital role in strengthening our community, creating a variety of good jobs, and driving New Mexico’s economy forward. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep fighting to secure the resources LANL needs to successfully carry out its national security mission, stay on the cutting edge of scientific research, and boost our economy,” said Udall.

“The contributions that Los Alamos National Laboratory makes to science, national security, and our state's economy cannot be overstated,” said Heinrich. “I remain steadfast in my commitment to ensuring our national labs’ success and tapping into their full potential to fuel a strong economic base for our whole state. During my time in the Senate, I have been proud to secure significant increases in the budgets for both Los Alamos and Sandia. Since I started serving in the Senate, the workforces at Sandia and Los Alamos have each grown by more than 2,000 employees and continue to help grow the local small-business ecosystem. I will continue working to set the stage for strong growth and sustainable futures for the labs’ vital missions.”

“Los Alamos National Laboratory is an integral part of our local economy and community - employing thousands of our neighbors and family members. I am proud to support LANL's investments in research and technology as they help provide new opportunities and good-paying jobs to constituents in the Third Congressional District and across New Mexico," said Luján.