Mexico Advances Social Security Access: IMSS

Mexico’s Social Security Institute (IMSS) outlined progress in formal employment, pension reform and expanded social security access during the 2025 Encuentro Amafore, where Zoé Robledo, Director General, reviewed recent policy outcomes under the current federal administration.

Robledo said the 2020 pension reform marked a turning point for workers by improving replacement rates and raising guaranteed pension amounts. The measure opened access to pensions for thousands who previously would not have qualified and laid the groundwork for broader structural changes. He also pointed to the creation of the Fondo de Pensiones para el Bienestar (Well-Being Pension Fund) and the constitutional recognition of a noncontributory pension for older adults, which have shaped what he described as a mixed pension model gaining international attention.

Formal employment reached a record 22.7 million positions registered with IMSS, with permanent jobs representing 87% of the total. Robledo linked this performance to economic policies that promoted formalization and sustained minimum wage increases. He noted that the average daily base salary rose from MXN$352(US$19) in 2018 to MXN$623 in 2025.

Access to social security, historically a major gap in the country, showed measured improvement. Based on the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the share of the population without social security fell from 53.5% to 48.2%, marking the first time that most residents have access to this protection. This is relevant as informal employment has become a central pillar of the Mexican economy. If not addressed soon, it will continue to widen the gap between individuals with formal jobs and those without, reports OXFAM.

Robledo added that participation has expanded among independent workers, domestic workers and platform workers. As of Oct. 31, 2025, a total of 24,029,752 employer-associated registrations were recorded with the IMSS, including individuals covered under the digital platforms reform. Enrollment has also grown among Mexican workers abroad, with more than 16,000 affiliates in the United States.

Robledo identified women’s participation in the labor market as a central challenge. IMSS is supporting the creation of a National Care System and plans to add 500,000 childcare spaces to help reconcile professional and family responsibilities, aiming to reduce structural barriers to employment for women. Access to public, subsidized or low-cost child care can raise women’s employment rates by roughly 5% to as much as 47%, according to the International Development Bank.

He called on private and public stakeholders to participate in strengthening the country’s social security model and to promote a long-term vision centered on certainty and future well-being.