Mexico formal employment reaches historic record of 22.9 million

Mexico's formal employment reached a historic high in September, with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) reporting 22,927,276 total affiliates. During the month, 128,803 new formal jobs were created, more than tripling the 38,319 positions recorded in August.

Of the total workforce, 87.1% hold permanent positions, which also reached a record of 19,967,281. In the first nine months of the year, 410,200 jobs were added, representing a 1.8% increase compared to the end of 2025. The average daily contribution salary stood at 666 pesos, the highest for any September on record.

Sectoral growth was led by extractive industries (5.2%), followed by transport and communications (4.8%). Geographically, Baja California saw the highest annual growth at 8.2%, followed by Quintana Roo, Oaxaca, and Tabasco. In Nuevo León, formal workers surpassed the 2 million mark for the first time, contributing 16.2% to the national total.

Despite the monthly surge, some data indicates a loss of dynamism in the third quarter overall, with 147,572 jobs added between July and September, the lowest for a third quarter since 2009. This reflects a 40.02% annual decline in job creation compared to the same period in 2025.