Latin American economies confront massive job losses

In Mexico, official data show that more than 100,000 formal jobs were lost in the first half of 2026, prompting the Confederation of Employers' Chambers (CCE) to call for greater security, legal certainty and investment‑friendly conditions to restore employment. The CCE president warned, “Se han perdido en el primer semestre más de 100 mil trabajos a nivel nacional,” and highlighted public works in Veracruz as a key driver of remaining activity.

In Argentina, net closures of 26,448 employer companies have been recorded through March 2026, 98 % of them small and medium‑size enterprises. Economists warn that the wave of preventive bankruptcies could erase up to 600,000 jobs by year‑end, with the government’s import‑liberalisation policy cited as a major factor behind the collapse of the SME sector.