Background on the Issue
The recent improvement in employment figures, with over 1 million workers from digital platforms joining the workforce, presents a new challenge for experts. The focus now shifts to sustaining these numbers in the coming months, ensuring not just formal employment but also that workers earn at least the minimum wage.
IMSS Director’s Perspective
Zoé Robledo, the director of the Institute of Mexican Social Security (IMSS), explained that all workers will remain enrolled in social security, regardless of not meeting the minimum wage threshold. This ensures that they have work-related risk coverage from the moment of registration.
Expert Opinions
Saúl Escobar, a labor expert and member of the Citizen Observatory for Labor Reform, acknowledged the improvement in employment figures due to digital platform workers’ registration. However, he emphasized the need for these workers to maintain and increase their earnings to at least the daily minimum wage.
Escobar also pointed out that there has been a restriction in public spending and investment during the first half of the year. He hopes that there will be more financial flexibility to push forward all the projects announced by the president, including those in Plan México.
ManpowerGroup’s Perspective
Alberto Alesi, the director of ManpowerGroup for Mexico, Caribe, and Centroamérica, described the IMSS report as positive but cautioned against premature celebration. He emphasized that it’s a starting point, and the challenge lies in maintaining this momentum and ensuring long-term active engagement of these new affiliates.
Alesi noted that the June-September Employment Expectations Survey showed a 28% intention to hire, five points lower than the previous quarter. This indicates a moderation in employers’ hiring intentions, excluding the extraordinary factor of platform workers.
“Our forecasts for the fourth quarter will provide a clearer understanding of how much this atypical factor influences labor market figures or adapts to seasonal market cycles,” Alesi added.
UNTA’s Concerns
Sergio Guerrero, the general secretary of the National Union of Workers for Application (UNTA), acknowledged that platform workers now have a security social registration. However, he expressed concern that starting from the second month, only those exceeding the monthly net income threshold set by the Labor and Social Prevision Secretariat will remain insured.
Guerrero stressed that the exclusion percentages in the pilot program’s design are unjust, high, and contrary to the labor reform’s spirit, which aims to guarantee labor and social rights for all platform workers.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the current employment situation? The number of workers from digital platforms has increased by over 1 million, improving overall employment figures.
- What are the challenges ahead? Experts emphasize the need to sustain these employment numbers and ensure workers earn at least the minimum wage.
- What is the IMSS director’s stance? Zoé Robledo ensures that all workers, including those not meeting the minimum wage threshold, remain enrolled in social security.
- What do labor experts say? Saúl Escobar and Sergio Guerrero highlight the importance of maintaining and increasing wages to at least the daily minimum wage.
- What does ManpowerGroup suggest? Alberto Alesi advises caution, emphasizing the need to maintain this positive trend and adapt to seasonal market cycles.
- What concerns the UNTA? Sergio Guerrero expresses worry about potential exclusion of workers who do not meet the monthly net income threshold set by the Labor and Social Prevision Secretariat.
