This week, New Mexico in Focus explores the history of Labor Day and the state of labor in New Mexico in 2024.
 
Senior Producer Lou DiVizio sits down with University of New Mexico Professor Jason Scott Smith as he explains the roots of the holiday and considers how Americans should measure economic success in our country.  
  
Albuquerque-based labor lawyer Stephen Curtice talks to Lou about his work and provides a snapshot of the state of labor today in New Mexico. 
  
A study from the University of New Mexico reports dangerous working conditions in the oil and gas industry.
Correspondent Elizabeth Miller speaks with Dr. Gabriel Sanchez, a study author and executive director at UNM's Center for Social Policy, to ask how the sector's workers might find new jobs in a clean-energy future. 
 
NMiF airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 8 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.   
 
NMiF Segments
 
The Roots and History of Labor Day 
and
How Americans Perceive the Middle Class in 2024 
Correspondent 
Lou DiVizio 

Guest
Jason Scott Smith, professor, UNM Department of History 
The State of Labor in NM 
Correspondent
Lou DiVizio 

Guest
Stephen Curtice, labor attorney, Youtz & Valdez Firm 
UNM Study Finds Dangerous Working Conditions in Oil and Gas Industry 
Correspondent
Elizabeth Miller 

Guest
Gabriel Sanchez, professor and executive director, UNM Center for Social Policy 
 
Host
Lou DiVizio 
 
New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."

NMPBS Executive Producer, Public Affairs, is Jeff Proctor. New Mexico in Focus's senior producer for public affairs is Lou DiVizio. “Our Land” Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Antonio Sanchez, and co-producer is Kathy Wimmer.

Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You.

Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.

The Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV provides funding for Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future.