Introduction
The concept of “dignified work” remains elusive for a significant portion of Mexico’s population. According to the latest data from the National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE), 35.6 million individuals in Mexico lack access to dignified employment, one of the key components being security social.
Security Social: A Major Shortcoming
The absence of security social affects 60% of Mexico’s employed population, a figure that has only decreased by five percentage points over the past two decades. This lack of access to healthcare institutions, one of the pillars of dignified work, poses a significant challenge.
Income Levels: A Distant Dream
While the policy of increasing the minimum wage has helped some people escape poverty, income levels still fall short of a dignified salary (two basic food baskets), which would amount to approximately 13,000 pesos per month.
The ENOE data reveals that 22.9 million occupied individuals earn no more than the minimum wage, accounting for 38.5% of the labor force.
Access to Benefits: A Persistent Issue
The situation regarding benefits is similarly concerning. Of the subordinated workers entitled to benefits, three out of ten do not receive them, meaning they lack paid vacations, Christmas bonuses, and other entitlements.
Although progress has been made in this area over the past two decades, with workers without benefits dropping from 45.8% to 30.4%, there are still 12.3 million people in this situation.
Formal Employment: No Guarantee of Dignified Work
Despite the perception that formal employment offers better conditions, Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza (ACFP) highlights that even in formal jobs, dignified work remains elusive.
According to ACFP’s analysis of the previous six-year term, 56% of the 12.5 million formal private sector employees earn less than the estimated dignified income of 12,500 pesos per month.
However, in terms of income, formal employment has seen the most progress. Between 2018 and 2024, the number of formally employed individuals without sufficient income decreased by 2.5 million, representing a 17% reduction in percentage terms.
This improvement is primarily attributed to the reduction in medium and large companies, where most of the progress has been observed. Nonetheless, ACFP cautions that formal jobs do not guarantee dignified work, as precariosity persists in microenterprises and self-employed workers.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is dignified work? Dignified work encompasses fair wages, social security, and benefits such as paid vacations and healthcare access.
- How many people in Mexico lack dignified work? According to the ENOE, 35.6 million people in Mexico do not have access to dignified employment.
- What percentage of Mexico’s employed population lacks security social? 60% of Mexico’s employed population does not have access to security social.
- What is the current minimum wage in Mexico, and how does it compare to a dignified income? The minimum wage in Mexico is insufficient to meet the dignified income benchmark of two basic food baskets, which amounts to approximately 13,000 pesos per month.
- How many people in Mexico earn the minimum wage or less? 22.9 million occupied individuals earn no more than the minimum wage, accounting for 38.5% of the labor force.
- What percentage of subordinated workers lack access to benefits? Three out of ten subordinated workers do not receive benefits, such as paid vacations and Christmas bonuses.
- How has formal employment evolved in terms of income? Although still insufficient, formal employment has seen progress in income levels, with a 17% reduction in the percentage of formally employed individuals without sufficient income between 2018 and 2024.
- Do formal jobs guarantee dignified work? No, as precariosity persists in microenterprises and self-employed workers, even within formal employment.
