Mexico Jobless Rate Below Forecasts

Mexico's unemployment rate rose slightly to 2.6% in February 2026, up from 2.5% a year earlier and matching forecasts. The unemployed totaled 1.6 million, up 76,000 year-over-year. Female unemployment reached 693,000 (up 53,000), while male unemployment stood at 907,000 (up 23,000), with rates of 2.8% and 2.5% respectively. Among the unemployed, 10.3% had not completed secondary education, while 89.6% held higher education. Most were aged 25 to 44 (47.4%), followed by ages 15 to 24 (34.1%). Of the unemployed, 41.5% were jobless for one month or less, and 38.4% for more than one month but up to three months. Underemployment, those seeking more hours or additional jobs, rose to 7.0% from 6.3% a year earlier. Workers in critical employment conditions, with earnings below minimum wage equivalents, edged up to 39.3% from 38.9%. Informal employment remained high at 54.8%, compared to 54.5% in February 2025.

Mexico’s unemployment rate held steady at 2.7% in January 2026, unchanged year-over-year and slightly above forecasts of 2.6%, with 1.7 million unemployed. The rate was identical for men and women, though women saw a 0.2-point annual decline while men rose 0.1 point. Among the unemployed, 12.6% lacked secondary education, while 87.2% had higher education. The largest share (43.7%) was aged 25–44, followed by 15–24 year-olds (32.8%). Half (50.6%) had been jobless for one month or less, 31.1% for 1–3 months.

Mexico’s unemployment rate stood at 2.4% in December 2025, unchanged from the same period a year earlier and below market expectations of 2.6%. The number of unemployed people totaled 1.5 million. Unemployment among women was higher at 2.6%, compared with 2.2% for men. Individuals without completed lower-secondary education accounted for 11.0% of the unemployed, while those with higher educational attainment represented 88.8%. By age group, unemployment was concentrated among those aged 25–44 years (46.1%), followed by young people aged 15–24 years (33.5%). In terms of duration, 42.9% had been unemployed for one month or less, while 32.6% had been without work for more than one month and up to three months. The underemployment rate stood at 6.2%.