Overview
- Baja California reported 54,526 more IMSS‑registered workers in Q1 2026, taking the total to 1,049,429, a 2.4% annual rise the state says ranks fifth nationwide.
- Independent analysts say most of the increase comes from gig drivers and couriers who had to enroll with IMSS under a recent federal reform, not from a surge in employer‑created positions.
- Registration data in Tijuana showed about 34,000 additional insured workers between February and March but only 97 new employer accounts, a mismatch cited as evidence of formalization rather than fresh hiring.
- The state business council says Baja California lost 14,500 jobs last year and still lags by roughly 105,000 positions, which it warns is squeezing first‑time job seekers entering the formal market.
- Sonora also logged 23,511 new formal jobs in the first quarter, with agriculture, livestock, and commerce leading, underscoring a broader northern‑border uptick that experts say needs more months of employer data to judge its staying power.