Overview of the Labor Market Trends in Querétaro
Querétaro, Qro. The state has been experiencing a seven-month decline in the number of employers, according to IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) records from February to August 2025. This trend has impacted both job creation and formal employment.
- In August, Querétaro had 30,525 employer registrations, a decrease of 175 compared to August 2024 (30,700), representing a 0.6% reduction.
- The decline began in February (-28), continued through March (-66), April (-191), May (-452), June (-325), July (-454), and August (-175).
- Monthly changes in registrations show five negative values and three increases compared to the previous month.
- Year-to-date, the labor market has contracted, with a negative balance of -173 new employer registrations in the January-August 2025 period, compared to a positive balance of +345 in the same period in 2024.
- Job creation has also been affected, with 20,281 new positions created in the first eight months of 2024 versus only 10,628 in 2025.
IMSS Registrations and Their Implications
The IMSS identifies affiliated employers through registration, though this does not necessarily correspond to a single company, as one firm can have multiple registrations. It also doesn’t refer to a specific establishment since two or more could share the same key. The figure includes employers with at least one active job position, according to IMSS.
Connection Between Declining Employers and Job Losses
Marco Antonio Del Prete Tercero, Secretary of Sustainable Development (Sedesu), analyzed that the reduction in employer registrations reflects a decline in formal employment. He acknowledged that this could be due to multiple factors, including geopolitical aspects and insufficient business planning.
“The primary cause of the decrease in employer registrations is the main reason for the drop in jobs. There could be many variables; I don’t want to speculate on any specific cause, but it might range from the geopolitical environment to internal movements. Why do employers choose to withdraw from social security? Much of it could be due to inadequate business plans and the inability to withstand competition, which might explain the slowdown in job creation,” Del Prete Tercero explained.
Concerns Over Increasing Informal Employment
Beatriz Hernández Rojas, President of COPARMEX Querétaro, expressed concern over the downward trend in employer registration numbers. She suggested that this could indicate businesses transitioning to the informal sector.
“We are worried because this reflects formal businesses; it’s the number of formal businesses, and we don’t perceive less economic activity. Instead, it seems many are moving to the informal sector,” Hernández Rojas stated.
She pointed out that factors contributing to this trend might include the lack of incentives for businesses to remain formal, lagging national public policies on social security, and increased tax responsibilities.
“There are no incentives from the country’s public policies; there are no incentives for formality. When we see that, despite paying social security contributions, our employees cannot be attended due to insufficient healthcare personnel, employers opt for private attention. It’s unfortunate because, by ceasing to contribute to social security quotas, both they and many other benefits are lost,” she commented.
National Context and IMSS Report
By August 2025, the IMSS reported 1,039,351 employer registrations, a yearly decrease of 2.5%. The decline is primarily attributed to stricter security measures in opening individual employer registrations.
In the first eight months of 2025, Mexico has experienced annual variations of -2% or more.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is causing the decline in employers in Querétaro? The primary cause of the decrease in employer registrations is the main reason for job losses. Factors could include geopolitical aspects, insufficient business planning, and the inability to withstand competition.
- How does this trend affect job creation? The contraction in the labor market and declining employer registrations have negatively impacted job creation, with fewer new positions created in 2025 compared to 2024.
- What are the concerns regarding the decline in employer registrations? There is concern that this trend might indicate businesses transitioning to the informal sector, which could be due to insufficient incentives for formality, lagging public policies on social security, and increased tax responsibilities.
- What is the national context regarding employer registrations? Nationally, there has been a 2.5% yearly decrease in employer registrations, mainly due to stricter security measures for individual employer registrations. Annual variations have been -2% or more in the first eight months of 2025.
