Overview
- INEGI’s ENOE for the first quarter of 2026 shows total employed rose to about 59.6 million, an annual increase of roughly 552,000, while the official unemployment rate stood near 2.6%.
- Most of the net job gain came in micronegocios and self‑employment: micronegocios employed about 24.5 million (up ~713,000) and self‑employed reached about 13.5 million (up ~451,000).
- Informal employment climbed to 54.8% (about 32.6 million people) and the share in ‘conditions of critical occupation’ rose to 38.8%, signaling wider precarious work and low pay.
- Social coverage weakened: roughly 60% of employed people (about 35.9 million) reported no access to health institutions, and about 47% of workers earn up to a minimum wage.
- Welfare signals are mixed because poverty laboral fell to 30.7% and real labor income rose, but regional gaps, lower female participation and seasonally adjusted indicators (unemployment near 2.72% in some series) suggest the headline growth masks weaker job quality and coverage.