Mexico employed a record 60.4 million people in May 2026, but INEGI data showed the milestone was accompanied by rising informality and worsening job quality.
Those trends have raised doubts about how durable the labor market’s apparent strength is, even as headline employment hits a new high.
Worker strain is also showing up elsewhere: Ipsos and Pluxee data found grocery vouchers were the most valued benefit at 41% as wage growth slowed and employees prioritized financial stability.
The broader talent debate in Mexico is increasingly centered on structural fixes—from bringing refugees into the formal workforce to preparing companies for a 2027 digital time-tracking mandate and AI-driven workplace change.