Digital Platforms Help Drive Nearly 183,000 New Formal Jobs in Mexico

Mexico’s formal labor market rebounded in February, with 182,778 new jobs registered with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), following a contraction in January. The increase was influenced in part by the inclusion of workers from digital platforms in official employment statistics, although job growth remained positive even without that factor.

According to IMSS data, February’s job gains represented a 53% increase compared with January, reflecting a recovery in the formal employment sector after seasonal declines earlier in the year.

Workers from digital platforms, including app-based delivery and transportation services, played a significant role in the monthly increase. Even excluding those workers, however, Mexico’s formal economy still added 157,882 jobs in February, a 32% increase compared with January.

Over the first two months of the year, the total number of new formal jobs reached 174,674 when platform workers are included. Without those workers, job creation would total 217,299 new positions, representing stronger year-over-year growth.

As of February 28, Mexico’s formal employment registry reached 22.69 million workers enrolled in the IMSS system, an increase of 1.2% compared with the previous year.

The report also showed continued wage growth. The average daily base salary reached 664.09 pesos, representing a 7.2% annual increase. Digital platform workers reported an average daily wage of 432.2 pesos.

Meanwhile, the number of registered employers declined slightly, with 1,021,996 employers registered with IMSS, reflecting a small monthly drop attributed in part to new security measures in employer registrations.

Overall, the data suggest that Mexico’s labor market remains stable, though the growing role of digital platform workers is reshaping how employment trends are measured and interpreted.