Mexico Unemployment Rate Hits Nine-Month High

Mexico’s unemployment rate edged up to 3.0% in August 2026 from 2.9% in July, matching forecasts. The unemployed population totaled 1.9 million. The unemployment rate was 3.1% among women and 2.9% among men. Regarding the duration of unemployment, 43.1% of the unemployed had been without work for one month or less, while 32.5% had been unemployed for more than one month and up to three months. By age group, the largest share of the unemployed was concentrated among people aged 25 to 44, at 47.8%, followed by those aged 15 to 24, at 33.4%. Among the unemployed, 13.6% had not completed secondary education, while 86.3% had attained a higher level of education.

Mexico’s unemployment rate stood at 2.9% in July 2026, unchanged from June and remaining at its highest level since September 2025, while falling short of expectations for an increase to 3%. The number of unemployed remained at 1.8 million. Unemployment edged up among women (3.1% vs 3%) but declined among men (2.7% vs 2.8%). Among the unemployed, 89.3% had higher levels of education, while 10.7% had not completed secondary education. By age, the largest share of unemployed people was among those aged 25–44 (46.9%), followed by the 15–24 group (33.8%). The employment rate remained unchanged at 91.7%, while the number of employed people edged up to 60.8 million. Employment was concentrated in commerce (19.6%), manufacturing (15.9%), agriculture (10.6%) and construction (8.7%). Meanwhile, the labor force declined to 62.6 million, while the activity rate edged up to 59.2%.

Mexico's unemployment rate rose to 2.9% in June 2026 from 2.8% in May, the highest level since September 2025 and slightly above market expectations of 2.8%. The number of unemployed people totaled 1.8 million. The unemployment rate stood at 3.0% for women and 2.8% for men. By age group, individuals aged 25 to 44 accounted for 48.4% of the unemployed, followed by those aged 15 to 24 at 29.6%. Among the unemployed, 89.4% had completed at least secondary education. Regarding unemployment duration, 43.5% had been jobless for one month or less, while 30.3% had been unemployed for more than one month but no longer than three months. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate, which measures employed workers seeking additional hours, was 6.6%. The economically inactive population totaled 43.3 million people, or 41.2% of those aged 15 and over.