Background on the Significance of Digital Platform Workers
Digital platform workers have played a crucial role in enhancing formal employment opportunities in Mexico. In October 2025, there were 150,123 workers from these platforms who successfully cotributed to the formal sector, which reached a total of 217,491 new jobs. This represents a substantial 57.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024, as reported by the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS).
Employment Growth and Comparison with Previous Years
Despite this monthly boost, the accumulated job creation for the year remains 7.4% below the records from 2024, marking the lowest figure in a decade. The total accumulated job creation stands at 550,794 positions, a growth of only 2.5%. This is significantly lower than the 594,556 jobs created in 2024 and the 929,794 in 2023. During the first year of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, the job creation in October reached 648,050 positions.
Regional and Sectorial Variations
Out of the 18 states, 16 reported negative employment growth. Campeche had the most significant decline at -10.3%, followed by Tabasco with -6.5%. The sectors that showed negative growth included Extractive (-4.7%), Construction (-4.6%), Agropecuario (-2.5%), and Transformation (-2.0%). However, Transportation and communications reported a positive 9.6%, largely due to the formalization of digital platform transport and delivery workers.
Patronal Affiliation and Future Expectations
As of October 31, 2025, there were 139,408 patronal registrations, showing a negative annual variation of 2.3%. This is primarily due to stricter security measures in opening registrations for physical persons.
Experts surveyed by Banxico predict that 230,000 formal jobs will be created by the end of 2025. Jorge Sales Boyoli, a labor specialist, suggests that the reported numbers might be skewed by including digital platform workers. He explains that while these workers are affiliated at the start of a period, those who don’t meet the minimum wage requirement are dropped by the end.
Alberto Alesi, General Director of ManpowerGroup for Mexico, Caribe, and Centroamérica, confirmed that 550,794 formal jobs have been created in 2025 so far. However, this figure is still 43,000 less than the 594,000 formal jobs from 2024.
Historical Context and Salary Trends
Historically, the total number of jobs ranks as the third-lowest figure, only surpassed by 2008 (356,000) and 2004 (479,000), excluding losses from the health emergencies of 2009 (-104,000) and 2020 (-518,000).
The sustained increase in job creation is attributed to consistent efforts, with permanent work reporting 137,566 positions for the tenth month of the year. Temporary work also saw a significant rise from 3,727 in September to 79,925 in October.
The average cotization salary stood at 622 pesos by the end of October 2025, the highest for that month in history, with a nominal annual change of 41.5 pesos (7.1% nominal increase).
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the significance of digital platform workers in Mexico’s formal employment? Digital platform workers have contributed to a 57.4% increase in formal employment opportunities, adding 150,123 new workers to the sector in October 2025.
- How does Mexico’s job creation in 2025 compare to previous years? Although there has been a monthly boost, the accumulated job creation for 2025 is 7.4% below 2024 records, with only 550,794 formal jobs created so far.
- Which sectors experienced negative job growth in 2025? The Extractive, Construction, Agropecuario, and Transformation sectors reported negative growth.
- What are the future job creation expectations for Mexico in 2025? Experts predict the creation of approximately 230,000 formal jobs by the end of 2025.
- How do salary trends look for formal workers in Mexico? The average cotization salary reached 622 pesos by the end of October 2025, marking the highest value for that month in history.
