The labor reforms promoted by Morena and allies will cost more than 12 billion pesos to Mexican companies each year, according to Fernando Rojas, a lawyer specialized in labor issues.
“The reforms, which include increases in contributions and the implementation of a working day reduced to 37.5 hours, will generate an estimated cost of more than 12 billion pesos for companies and the self-employed, which could have an impact on hiring and in economic activity in general,” says the CEO partner of ESSAD, a firm specialized in human talent management.
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“With these factors in mind, 2025 is expected to be a challenging year for formal employment in Mexico, in which public policies and internal economic conditions will play a determining role in the evolution of the labor market,” he said.
During the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reforms were promoted in labor matters such as pensions, decent vacations, minimum wage, as well as the gender perspective in the Social Security Law, the updating of the list of occupational diseases, paternity leave and the so-called Silla Law.
Other reforms are in process, such as the decent bonus, the reduction of working hours, the hiring of older adults and new modifications to the pension system.
In 2025, companies will have to assume increases in contributions and the implementation of reduced working hours, according to the lawyer.
At the end of 2024 there were 22,238,379 jobs registered in the IMSS, of which 87 percent were permanent and the rest temporary. In December alone, 405,259 positions were eliminated, the highest loss in the last decade.
“This figure begins to send warning signs regarding the health of the labor market and the national economy,” he declared.
Certain sectors experienced positive growth compared to the end of last year. The transportation and communications sector led growth with an annual increase of 3.9 percent, followed by trade (2.8 percent), electricity (2.3 percent) and business services (2.1 percent). In addition, some entities such as the State of Mexico, Hidalgo and Guerrero stood out with annual increases of more than 4 percent.
“Current data reflect a tight labor market, where companies face difficulties in finding and retaining workers with technical skills,” said Jesús Moscoso, CEO of ESSAD, a firm specialized in human talent management.
“This scenario has generated greater competition for specialized talent, which raises salary expectations and complicates hiring in key areas,” he said.
He added that another relevant aspect in the labor panorama is gender disparity. Although female participation has shown progress, it remains considerably lower than that of men, not only in comparison with other regions, but also with other OECD member countries.
She indicated that domestic and family care responsibilities continue to fall mostly on women, which limits their ability to complete their studies or fully integrate into the labor market.
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Job growth in 2025 is expected to be more moderate compared to the previous year.
Lorenzo Amor, president of the National Federation of Associations of Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Workers, attributed the slowdown to the legislative “obstacles” imposed by the government.
