NEWS DIGEST
such as companies, governments or institutions. In addition, around 50 per cent of this demographic can be categorised as salaried workers, who should theoretically receive benefits. “This tells us that, up to now, public policies have been ineffective because they don’t understand where informal employment lies,” maintained Pasillas. “They offer partial solutions, which is like putting a Band-Aid on someone who’s bleeding. While there’s a slight downward trend, this is something that hasn’t been resolved for decades.” She continued: “Practically 95 per cent [of those who are working informally] remain unregistered, despite the law stating that they should be.” Given these figures, the Iteso professor believes a more comprehensive public policy is required beyond social programmes. Universal social security is needed, which, as is the case in many European countries, does not link a person’s access to social security with their employment status. CD “Labour informality is one of the most important problems in Mexico because it has significant social and economic implications. More than half the population lack rights”
NEW ANALYSIS OF MEXICO’S SHADOW WORKFORCE REVEALS GAP IN PUBLIC POLICY
work informally. The issue is that around 6.4 million of these informal workers are based in what legally constitutes the formal sector. “Labour informality is one of the most important problems in Mexico because it has significant social and economic implications. More than half of the population lack rights,” explained Mireya Pasillas, a professor at Iteso and the newsletter’s editorial director. The figures revealing just how many informal workers lie outside the informal sector stemmed from using a matrix and analytical tool designed by specialist Ralf Hussmanns. Nationwide, the analysis shows that 24 per cent of people in an informal situation work in formally registered economic units,
SCHOOL Iteso Business School Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara COUNTRY Mexico
esearch based on figures from Mexico’s National Survey of Occupation and Employment
R
for the first quarter of 2025, published in Iteso Business School’s Economic Analysis Bulletin , has revealed the full extent of the country’s informal employment problem. Among 59 million employed people in Mexico, an estimated 54 per cent
7
Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online