Mexico IMSS employment and affiliation trends

Data from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) shows varying trends in employment and affiliation. In late August 2026, reports indicated declining affiliation rates in specific regions, such as Baja California, where employer affiliation decreased by 3.3 percent. In Ciudad Juárez, registered domestic workers saw a 22.24 percent drop during the year.

By the end of August 2026, national figures showed a different trend, with IMSS reporting 22,798,473 registered jobs, the highest total for any August on record. This represented a 1.5 percent annual increase in affiliated positions. While sectors like transport, communications, and extractive industries saw growth, the manufacturing and agricultural sectors experienced negative variations.

By September 2026, IMSS reported that formal employment grew by 38,319 jobs in August, a 0.2 percent monthly increase. This brought the total for the first eight months of the year to 281,397. Total affiliations reached 22,798,473, noted as the second-highest figure on record, while permanent positions reached a historic high of 19,860,128.

Growth was driven by transport and communications (6.6 percent), extractive industry (4.7 percent), and social services (3.7 percent), though the agricultural sector declined by 5.8 percent annually. Regionally, San Luis Potosí exceeded 500,000 formal jobs for the first time, and Zacatecas ranked 12th nationally for annual job increases. Conversely, the digital platform sector lost 48,446 formal jobs in August, with only approximately 11 percent of its workers meeting the income threshold for full social security benefits. To streamline administration, IMSS announced the digitalization of the Employer Identification Card (TIP) beginning September 10.