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Mexico Afore Jobless Withdrawals Set Record for January on 20.7% Jump

Regulators blame illegal intermediaries charging fees for free procedures.

Overview

  • Consar reports 162,250 workers withdrew 3,410 million pesos from Afore accounts in January 2026, up 20.7% year over year and the highest January on record.
  • December 2025 was the single biggest month on record at about 4,000 million pesos, bringing full‑year 2025 withdrawals to 39,118 million pesos.
  • Authorities say informal “coyotes” are profiting by steering workers through unemployment withdrawals and billing for services that the system offers at no cost.
  • Despite heavier withdrawals, Afores posted 158,471 million pesos in unrealized gains in January, 7.8% below January 2025, with 8.497 trillion pesos managed across roughly 70 million accounts after nine straight months of gains.
  • Unemployment withdrawals are allowed but reduce credited IMSS weeks and can lower future pensions unless workers later replenish the funds.