Mexico formal employment grows in August 2026

Mexico's formal employment showed growth in August 2026, with the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) reporting 38,319 new jobs, a 0.2% monthly increase. This brings the total for the first eight months of the year to 281,397. Total affiliations reached 22,798,473, the second-highest figure on record. Permanent positions hit a historic high of 19,860,128. Key growth sectors included transport and communications (6.6%), extractive industry (4.7%), and social services (3.7%), while the agricultural sector saw a 5.8% annual decline.

Regionally, San Luis Potosí surpassed 500,000 formal jobs for the first time. Zacatecas also reported sustained growth, ranking 12th nationally with an annual increase of 1,434 jobs. Baja California and Oaxaca led state-level growth rates.

However, the digital platform sector faced challenges, losing 48,446 formal jobs in August. Only about 11% of workers in this sector met the income threshold required to access full social security benefits. Additionally, the IMSS announced the digitalization of the Employer Identification Card (TIP) starting September 10 to simplify administrative processes.