By: Representative Catherine Cullen
A recent Legislative Finance Committee report found that more than 32,000 young people in New Mexico are not in school, not working, and not in training. That number should stop everyone in their tracks. It is not a marginal issue or a temporary dip. It is a clear signal that something deeper is wrong with how our state prepares young people for adulthood and how our economy receives them once they get there. It also carries a real cost. Estimates put the burden on taxpayers at roughly $623 million each year.
For years, young Americans were told a simple story. Work hard in school. Go to college or learn a trade. Build a career. Start a family. Own a home. That path was presented as achievable. Today, it feels distant and uncertain for many young people, especially in New Mexico.
The cost of living has risen faster than wages. Housing has become increasingly out of reach, with the average first time homebuyer now nearing 40 years old. Starting a family requires financial stability that fewer young adults believe they can achieve. At the same time, many who followed the prescribed path of higher education are finding that a degree no longer guarantees a stable job or upward mobility.
These realities shape behavior. When young people look at the system and see that effort is not consistently rewarded, they begin to disengage. That is not a cultural failure in isolation. It is a response to incentives and outcomes. Policy decisions, made year after year, have helped create the environment young people are now navigating.
New Mexico consistently ranks near the bottom in education outcomes and child well being. Crime remains a serious concern in many communities. The state carries one of the highest tax burdens in the country while delivering one of the lowest returns on taxpayer investment. Government spending has increased, yet many core services that should support opportunity and stability are underperforming.
Young adults notice this. They see a system that takes a substantial portion of their income while struggling to provide safe neighborhoods, strong schools, and a reliable pathway to economic independence. They see headlines about waste, fraud, and mismanagement, and it reinforces the belief that the system is not built for them. Over time, that perception shapes how they choose to live their lives.
It is often said that politics is downstream from culture. In many cases that is true. But the relationship also runs the other direction. Policy shapes incentives, and incentives shape behavior. When policies make it harder to afford a home, harder to start a business, and harder to build wealth, they influence how an entire generation thinks about work, family, and the future.
The 32,000 young people who are disconnected from work and school are not all making the same choice for the same reason. Some face personal challenges. Some lack access to training or opportunity. But at a system level, the trend reflects a broader loss of confidence. It reflects a growing belief that the traditional path no longer leads where it once did.
If New Mexico wants to reverse this trend, it must rebuild the connection between effort and outcome. That means improving public safety, so communities feel stable. It means delivering real results in education, not just increased spending. It means creating an environment where businesses grow, jobs expand, and young people can see a future for themselves here. It also means treating taxpayer dollars with discipline and transparency so people trust that the system is working on their behalf.
Young people are not asking for guarantees. They are asking for a fair shot and a system that makes sense. Right now, too many are looking at New Mexico and deciding they cannot build the life they were promised. If that does not change, 32,000 will not be the peak. It will be the warning sign we failed to act on.
