All job seekers and employers are encouraged to visit the America Hires Virtual Job Fair beginning August 1, through September 30, 2012.

The online event is a virtual job fair aimed at connecting interested individuals with hiring companies and jobs all around the United States.

More signs of life in Albuquerque's sluggish economy: the metro area is now running ahead of the national trend in new home construction.

Across the country last month builders started working on the most new homes and apartments since 2008, an increase of almost 7 percent in May.

But Albuquerque's housing construction figures looked a lot brighter than the national average with an increase of nearly 14 percent, with 141 housing starts.

Builders say May was pretty good and July looks like it will stay on track.

"We're anticipating somewhere between a 25 and 30 percent increase over last year, so we're greatly encouraged by that," Home Builders Association's Jim Folkman said. " We're still cautious about an improvement but we seem to have some steady growth here and we're encouraged by that."

Four non-profit organizations in New Mexico have been awarded a portion of $200,000 from the Walmart Foundation’s Giving Program and the Foundation is now accepting applications for the second cycle.