Logistics Jobs Fall in December 2025 After 2024 Growth: INEGI

Employment in “Transportation, communications, mail, and storage” declined at year-end, with Mexico closing December 2025 at 3.56 million employed people in the category, down from 3.61 million a year earlier, according to INEGI’s National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE). That equals a net loss of 54,619 jobs, or 1.51% year on year.

The sector’s share of total employment also edged down, from 6.1% to 5.9%. The drop came in a broader labor market that remained resilient. Mexico’s economically active population rose to 61.9 million in December 2025, up 1.1 million from December 2024. Unemployment held at 2.4%, while informality increased to 54.6%, equivalent to 33 million informal workers, underscoring persistent structural pressures across the job market.

The year-end weakness in ENOE employment contrasts with INEGI’s Annual Transport Survey (EAT) results for 2024, which point to moderate but broad-based growth in Mexico’s transport, courier, and storage activities. According to the EAT, total employment in the sector increased 6.4% year on year in 2024, with gains concentrated in freight-linked segments, MBN reports.

Among the strongest job gains in 2024 were: rail transport employment up 15.2%, general cargo trucking up 14.7%, specialized cargo trucking up 19.4%, storage services up 34.1% after a contraction in 2023, and courier and parcel services up 10.0%.

INEGI’s EAT also reported revenue growth across most activities in 2024. Revenues increased in 12 of 14 transport subsectors, led by specialized cargo trucking at 38.8% and general cargo trucking at 25.2%, while rail revenues rose 10.7%. At the same time, freight transport intermediation showed weakness, with employment down 17.1% and revenues down 2.2%, while storage revenues fell 4.5%, pointing to margin pressure and consolidation in parts of the value chain.

INEGI’s EAT data highlights a continued male predominance across transport subsectors. Rail transport was among the most skewed, with men representing 93.6% of the workforce, while women had comparatively higher participation in regular air transport (42.3%) and freight intermediation services (37.0%).  

Even where demand is expanding, labor constraints in trucking remain a major risk for logistics capacity. MBN reports that the truck driver deficit reached 56,000 positions in 2023 and is projected to nearly double to 106,000 by 2028, citing CANACAR.

The shortage matters because trucking is a core backbone of domestic freight. The same report notes that trucking represents 3.78% of GDP and moves 81% of land cargo and 57% of domestic freight, meaning a widening driver gap can translate into higher costs, service disruptions and tighter capacity for industrial supply chains.