Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Minimum wage to go up 16% to 103 pesos and will double in northern border region

The daily minimum wage will increase by 16% on January 1 to 102.68 pesos (US $5.10), the federal labor secretary announced today.

Luisa María Alcalde also announced an even bigger hike in the northern border area, where a free zone with lower taxes will be implemented at the start of next year. There, the minimum wage will double from its current level to 176.72 pesos (US $8.80) per day.

Speaking at an event attended by President López Obrador, other cabinet secretaries, members of the private sector and workers’ representatives, Alcalde said that for the first time in many years the minimum wage has been set at a point that is on par with the minimum threshold for individual wellbeing, or the poverty line, which is determined by the social development agency Coneval.

“[It’s] a first step in the right direction,” she said.

López Obrador, who has pledged that “the poor will come first” during his government, described the salary increase as “an historic event because together we begin a new stage in the salary policy of our country.”

Economy Secretary Graciela Márquez Colín said the larger increase in the border region “won’t have inflationary implications” but “will have a positive effect on the purchasing power of workers.”

Prior to today’s announcement, the Mexican Employers Federation (Coparmex) said the National Minimum Wage Commission (Conasami) had reached the decision to increase the wage unanimously.

At his morning press conference, López Obrador said that workers’ representatives, the business sector and the Bank of México had all participated in negotiations and reached an agreement that avoided any impact on inflation.

Conasami’s resetting of the minimum wage level today comes just three days after its former chief was dismissed.

Basilio González Núñez headed up the minimum wage commission for 27 years but was removed by Alcalde, who appointed Andrés Peñaloza Méndez to the role.

The labor secretary wrote on Twitter Friday that Consami will experience “winds of change” under the leadership of Peñaloza, an economist.

Alcalde, a former federal deputy and professor of law who has published several articles advocating for higher wages in Mexico, said in August that the new government would be committed to increasing the minimum wage and doubling it in the nation’s north.

However, even with the increase set to take effect on New Year’s Day, Mexico will continue to have one of the lowest minimum wages in Latin America.

Source: Expansión (sp), El Financiero (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Señor Frog's Playa del Carmen location

After 25 years, the party’s over at Señor Frog’s in Playa del Carmen

0
Demolition began last week after Quintana Roo authorities determined that the building that had housed Señor Frog’s was likely to collapse.
cleared strip of forest land

Profepa shuts down 7 properties after illegal operations destroy 2,600 hectares of forest

0
In Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, Profepa found swaths of pristine forest that had been leveled for monoculture farming in areas where Mennonite populations have been expanding.
An aerial view of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, showcasing its dense urban landscape and iconic architectural landmarks under a bright, clear sky. In the foreground, vibrant green trees partially obscure the view. The colonial-era city is characterized by warm, earthy tones like ochre, terracotta, and cream. Prominently featured in the midground is the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, a striking neo-Gothic church with a pinkish-orange facade and towering spires.

MND Local: San Miguel de Allende July news roundup

0
Catch up with San Miguel de Allende's local news for July as the city beefs up security, raises bus fares and gears up for a week-long culture festival.