Salaries in the state of Querétaro increased by 7.5% in 2018, according to a review of collective labor agreements at 330 companies.

The pay rise is the highest of any state in the Bajío region this year, state Labor Secretary José Luis Aguilera Rico said.

“. . . With an average 7.5% [increase] in salaries and benefits . . . We can say that it is a good result for the state, that we’re in first place in the Bajío and that generates a lot of investor confidence. In states such as Guanajuato, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí, we’re talking about [an increase] of under 6%,” he said.

Aguilera explained that the revision of 330 contracts, conducted by the secretariat he heads, met the state government’s review target and represented a 32% increase on the number of agreements assessed in 2017.

“The goal last year was [to review] the collective agreements of 250 companies; the truth is that we’re ending the year at 100% of the goal,” he said.

The secretary also said there had been no work stoppages in the state this year and that the goal to create 30,000 new jobs was exceeded.

“It gave us a lot of confidence that in spite of the elections [and] the turbulence that was speculated about, Querétaro came out with 7,600 more jobs [to the end of October] than the goal of 30,000. Querétaro surpassed the goal. There was speculation that the change of president . . . [would] stop [the creation of] jobs but Querétaro continued to make progress,” Aguilera said.

He highlighted that Querétaro is in second place nationally in terms of job creation and that employment is more stable than in tourism-oriented states which often feature at the top of the list.

“We create stable employment, unlike Quintana Roo or Baja California Sur, where because of tourism their [job creation statistics] are very high but the vacation period ends and they’re left without a job,” Aguilera said.

Querétaro is the hub of Mexico’s growing aerospace industry and has also attracted investment from automotive companies such as Continental AG, which opened a research and development center in the state earlier this year.

In October, daily wages of its workers with IMSS social security insurance – at 396 pesos (US $19.50) – was the third highest in Mexico behind only Mexico City and Campeche, official statistics show.

Querétaro’s GDP expanded by 3.92% last year, making it the 10th fast growing economy in Mexico.

Source: El Economista (sp)