Mexico Closes 2025 With Record Formal Employment

Mexico closed 2025 with its highest December level of formal employment on record, according to data released by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), reflecting steady job growth over the year alongside higher registered wages and an expanding reach of social security coverage.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, IMSS recorded 23.9 million registered affiliations linked to an employer, a figure that includes beneficiaries of the digital platforms reform. When considering only formal job positions, the total stood at 22.5 million, the highest December figure since records began. Of these jobs, nearly 87% were permanent positions, while just over 13% were temporary. Permanent employment reached 19.6 million positions, also a December record.

Despite the annual gains, December saw a seasonal contraction. IMSS reported a monthly decline of 320,692 jobs, equivalent to a 1.4% decrease. This represented the second smallest absolute drop for a December in the past decade and the lowest relative decline outside of the pandemic period. Over the past 12 months, formal employment grew by 278,697 positions, an annual increase of 1.3%.

Job growth varied across sectors and regions. Transport and communications led annual gains with a 13.7% increase, followed by commerce at 3.1% and the electricity sector at 2.1%. At the state level, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, and Mexico City posted annual employment growth above 5%.

Wages also reached a new high. The average daily base salary for IMSS-registered workers rose to MX$627.9 (US$31.40) in December, the highest level for that month on record. On a year-over-year basis, the average salary increased by MX$40.5 (US$2.03), a nominal rise of 6.9%, marking one of the strongest December increases historically.

Employer registrations surpassed 1 million by year-end. IMSS reported 1.03 million registered employers as of Dec. 31, although the total declined by 6,839 registrations during the month, a 0.7% decrease. The institute attributed the reduction mainly to new security measures applied to the opening of employer records for individuals.

Beyond traditional employment, IMSS continues to expand coverage through alternative schemes. By the end of 2025, over 8.8 million people were covered through other modalities. This included 8.39 million individuals enrolled in the voluntary insurance program, 144,248 participants in the Family Health Insurance scheme and 272,919 people under voluntary continuation of the mandatory regime.

The pilot program for digital platform workers also showed significant uptake. During the six-month mandatory pilot phase from July to December 2025, over 1.26 million people benefited from the reform. Of these, 206,521 exceeded the monthly net income threshold and were registered as formal jobs across 16 digital platforms, granting them full access to IMSS insurance coverage. Those who did not meet the income threshold but were registered remained covered under occupational risk insurance. The average daily wage associated with platform workers was MX$392.4 (US$19.62).

Coverage for domestic and independent workers continued to expand. In December, IMSS registered 57,851 domestic worker positions, with an estimated 94,818 potential beneficiaries. The average daily wage for this group was MX$493.13 (US$24.66). Additionally, 387,194 positions were registered under the voluntary scheme for independent workers, with an estimated 634,611 potential beneficiaries and an average daily wage of MX$336.51 (US$16.8). Both groups are entitled to the full range of IMSS social security benefits for themselves and their legal dependents.