Economic Indicators Report

The report details significant economic distress in the Navajo Nation, characterized by low median household incomes, high unemployment, and a workforce that must largely seek employment outside the community. While average annual wages have increased, they remain below living wage standards for most industry clusters. The region faces demographic challenges, including a declining youth population and limited housing availability due to complex land-use and leasing requirements.

• The Navajo Nation and the Shiprock area experience widespread economic distress, with poverty, uninsured rates, and joblessness serving as the primary drivers. The central, northwestern, and southern regions generally face 'extreme levels of economic distress', while the Shiprock area shows 'moderate economic distress'.
• Median annual household incomes in the region are significantly lower than state and national averages and have been declining since 2018. In 2021, the median income in Shiprock was $38,300 and in the Navajo Nation was $43,500, which is 19.4 percent lower than New Mexico ($54,020) and 36.9 percent lower than the United States ($69,021).
• The region is a net exporter of workers because there are more residents than available local jobs. In 2020, 68 percent of private workers living in the Navajo Nation were employed outside the Nation.
• Employment growth in the Navajo Nation is slower than in New Mexico and the United States, and unemployment rates are significantly higher. In 2023 Q1, the unemployment rate in the Navajo Nation was 5.9 percent, nearly double the rates of New Mexico (3.7 percent) and the United States (3.6 percent).
• Job quality is low, with approximately half of all jobs in both Shiprock (48 percent) and the Navajo Nation (50 percent) classified as Tier 3 jobs, which are low-paying and require minimal formal training. These Tier 3 jobs are growing faster than higher-paying Tier 1 and Tier 2 positions.
• Most industry clusters in the Navajo Nation do not provide a living wage for a family of four. The only exception is the Public Services & Infrastructure cluster, which has an average annual wage of $84,700.
• Housing availability is constrained by complex land-use and leasing requirements, as all Navajo Nation land is held 'in trust' by the Federal Government. Consequently, a high percentage of vacant units are not for sale or rent; in Shiprock, 72 percent of vacant units are classified as 'other vacant'.
• Demographic trends show a decline in the youth population. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of individuals under 18 decreased by 20 percent in Shiprock and 9.7 percent in the Navajo Nation, while the population of those aged 65 and over increased.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2024). Economic Indicators Report. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12131604/navajo-nation-economic-report.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Economic Indicators Report. 2024. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12131604/navajo-nation-economic-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Economic Indicators Report |date=June 2024 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12131604/navajo-nation-economic-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2024economic, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Economic Indicators Report}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12131604/navajo-nation-economic-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }