Introduction to the Mexican Labor Market and Seasonal Adjustments
The formal labor market in Mexico experienced its typical year-end seasonal adjustment in December 2025, with a significant reduction in registered positions reported to the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Although the scale of this decline was less severe than in 2023 and 2024, the pattern confirms a structural trend associated with the termination of temporary contracts, projects, and subregistration schemes.
Key Figures and Trends
- By December 31, 2025, the number of formal job registrations stood at 22,517,076 with the IMSS, marking a monthly cancellation of 320,692 positions—a 1.4% decrease from November.
- Compared to previous years, the loss in 2025 was less than in December 2024 (405,259 jobs, a 1.8% drop) and December 2023 (384,882 jobs, a 1.7% drop).
- The decline in 2025 was also smaller than in December 2022 (345,705 jobs) and 2021 (312,902 jobs).
While the recent annual decline is not the most pronounced, it still places the labor market in a highly volatile situation at year-end, with no clear signs of breaking the seasonal cycle despite labor authority requests to eliminate this practice.
Stability in Job Composition and Wage Growth
The job composition showed stability in the proportion of permanent positions, which accounted for 86.9% of total jobs, while temporary roles remained at 13.1%. However, this stability did not prevent a net job cancellation, indicating that seasonality continues to affect both temporary contracts and longer-term labor relationships.
Simultaneously, the average base wage for cotization reached 627.9 pesos per day, with an annual growth rate of 6.9%—the highest level recorded for a December month.
This wage increase contrasts with the reduction in job numbers, highlighting a divergence between income and formal employment volume.
The year-end period also saw a decrease of 6,839 employer registrations amidst heightened administrative controls.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue discussed in this article? The seasonal job losses in Mexico’s formal labor market, with a focus on December 2025 data.
- How many positions were canceled in December 2025? 320,692 positions were canceled.
- How does the 2025 decline compare to previous years? The 2025 decline was smaller than in December 2024 (1.8%), December 2023 (1.7%), December 2022, and December 2021.
- What is the average base wage for cotization in December 2025? The average base wage reached 627.9 pesos per day.
- What does the wage growth contrast with in December 2025? The wage growth contrasts with the reduction in job numbers, indicating a divergence between income and formal employment volume.
