Mexico Adds 1.3 Million Formal Jobs in July, Led by Platform Work

Formal employment in Mexico reached a historic high in July, with 23.59 million jobs registered at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). The increase includes both permanent and temporary positions and reflects the early impact of new labor inclusion programs, particularly for platform and independent workers.

IMSS reports the addition of 1.26 million jobs in July alone, marking the largest monthly increase since records began. This surge was primarily attributed to the pilot program for digital platform workers, which has expanded formal employment opportunities in transport, communications, and other service sectors.

“The annual growth in formal employment and the rise in nontraditional categories of affiliation show that labor inclusion policies are beginning to reshape the employment landscape,” says IMSS.

Of the total jobs reported, 82.7% are permanent and 17.3% are temporary. The strong July performance brought job creation in the first seven months of 2025 to over 1.35 million. On a 12-month basis, the number of registered positions grew by 1.26 million, reflecting an annual growth rate of 5.6%.

Transport and communications posted the highest sectoral increase at 71%, followed by business services with 5.4% and commerce with 2.7%. The State of Mexico and Mexico City saw annual job growth above 15%, supported by participation in the pilot program for digital platform workers.

The average daily wage for IMSS-affiliated workers rose to MX$614.3 (US$33), the highest recorded for any July. This represented a nominal increase of MX$25.6 over the past year, or 4.3%, ranking as the fifth-largest annual increase for July since records began.

The number of registered employers stood at just over 1.03 million, down 2.9% year over year. IMSS attributed this decline to stricter security protocols for registering individuals as employers.

Beyond traditional employment, the institute reported that 8.2 million people received social security through alternative schemes. This includes 7.75 million with facultative insurance, 149,157 enrolled in the Family Health Insurance plan, and 270,021 in the Voluntary Continuation of the Mandatory Regime.

The expansion of formal roles also extended to domestic and independent workers. IMSS recorded 59,679 domestic worker positions in July, with an expected 97,814 beneficiaries and an average daily wage of MX$459.5 (US$25). Independent workers accounted for 339,619 positions, with a projected 556,636 beneficiaries and an average wage of MX$332.8 (US$18). 

The July data indicates that targeted efforts to integrate nontraditional workers into the formal system are beginning to yield measurable results. IMSS’s ongoing programs aim to further expand coverage and bring more of the workforce into the social security framework.