Mexico Weighs Social Security Coverage for App-Based Workers

Mexico’s labor authorities are moving toward a nationwide decision on whether workers for digital platforms such as DiDi, Uber, and Rappi will be incorporated into the country’s mandatory social security system, following the conclusion of a six-month pilot program at the end of 2025.

The Institute for Social Security (IMSS) and the Ministry of LAbor and Social Welfare (STPS) are reviewing the results of the pilot, which tested mechanisms to extend social security coverage to app-based workers. The analysis will serve as the basis for a proposed reform to the Social Security Law that is expected to be sent to Congress for debate later this year. Authorities have said the objective is to ensure continuity with Mexico’s 2024 labor reform on digital platforms and to provide social protection to a growing segment of the workforce.

In a joint statement, IMSS and STPS say the pilot was designed to gather operational and financial data to “define the most appropriate scheme” for integrating platform workers into the mandatory social security regime. Officials say that eliminating the pilot’s rules while legislation is prepared would contradict the intent of the labor reform, and therefore the existing framework will remain in force until a final legal structure is approved.

The discussion comes as Mexico continues to adapt its labor and social security systems to changes driven by digital platforms, which often classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. This model has complicated efforts worldwide to define labor relationships, allocate responsibility for social security contributions and calculate benefits when income is variable and work schedules are flexible. In Mexico, the challenge has been to align those realities with a social security system historically built around traditional employer-employee relationships.

The pilot program, which ran from July through December 2025, marked a first attempt to address those issues at scale. According to IMSS data, 1.27 million people benefited from the reform during the pilot period. Of those, 206,521 workers exceeded a defined monthly net income threshold and were formally registered as jobs under the IMSS system, granting them access to the full range of social security benefits. These include coverage for illness and maternity, occupational risks, disability and life insurance, retirement, and old-age benefits, as well as childcare and other social services.

Workers who were registered under the pilot but did not surpass the income threshold were still covered by occupational risk insurance. That coverage applies to accidents during service or commuting and to illnesses related to the work performed through digital platforms. Under this scheme, insured workers are entitled to medical, surgical, pharmaceutical, and hospital care, as well as full wage replacement during periods of temporary disability, based on their registered salary. IMSS reported that the average daily wage associated with platform workers in the pilot was MX$392.4 pesos  US$($21.82). 

The pilot’s outcome is being evaluated against the broader context of formal employment and social security coverage in Mexico. As of Dec. 31, 2025, IMSS reported 23.9 million affiliations linked to an employer, a figure that includes beneficiaries of the digital platforms reform. When considering only registered jobs, IMSS recorded 22.5 million positions, the highest level for any December on record. Of those jobs, 86.9% were permanent and 13.1% were temporary, with permanent positions totaling 19.6 million.

Despite the strong annual figures, December saw a monthly decline of 320,692 jobs, equivalent to a 1.4% contraction. IMSS described this as the smallest December decline in relative terms in at least a decade, excluding the pandemic period. Over the past 12 months, employment still posted a net increase of 278,697 jobs, or 1.3% growth.

Sector data highlights why platform work has become part of the labor policy discussion. Transportation and communications recorded the highest annual growth rate in registered jobs, at 13.7%, followed by commerce at 3.1% and electricity at 2.1%. By region, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, and Mexico City each posted annual job growth above 5%. Many platform-based services are concentrated in urban areas, reinforcing their relevance to employment trends in those regions.

Wage data also forms part of the evaluation. IMSS reports that the average daily base salary for registered jobs reached MX$627.9 at the end of December, the highest level for that month on record. The figure represents a nominal annual increase of MX$40.5, or 6.9%, one of the largest December increases historically. These trends are being considered as policymakers assess how contribution levels and benefits might apply to platform workers with fluctuating earnings.

Beyond traditional employment, IMSS continues to expand coverage through alternative schemes. At the end of 2025, more than 8.8 million people were covered through nontraditional modalities, including voluntary insurance and family health plans. Nearly 58,000 jobs were registered under the domestic workers program in December, while more than 387,000 positions were affiliated through voluntary coverage for independent workers. These programs provide full access to IMSS’s five insurance branches and offer additional reference points for designing a permanent framework for platform labor.

As authorities finalize their analysis, several policy questions remain unresolved. These include determining who will bear responsibility for social security contributions, how to calculate contribution bases when income varies by week or month, and how to preserve flexibility without undermining access to benefits. The forthcoming proposal to Congress is expected to address those issues while aligning the Social Security Law with the digital platforms reform enacted in late 2024.

For companies operating in Mexico’s platform economy, the debate signals potential changes to cost structures and compliance requirements. For workers, it represents a possible shift toward more stable access to health care, income protection, and retirement savings. The outcome will place Mexico among a growing number of countries seeking to redefine labor protections in the digital economy, using social security policy as a central tool.