Two years of reduced withdrawals will allow the Cutzamala System's reservoirs to recover from the extended drought, Brugada said. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
As Mexico bids farewell to a very rainy summer season, the country is still experiencing historically low water reserves.
According to the National Water Commission (Conagua), the total water storage of Mexico’s 210 main dams is 80.1 billion cubic meters — 64% of their total capacity — a figure that is 12% lower than the historical average of 91.3 billion cubic meters.
Forty-two dams in Mexico are at or beyond their full capacity, according to Conagua, but 52 are below 50% of their storage capacity. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro/)
Conagua reported that from Jan. 1 to Nov. 3, the country recorded 697.5 millimeters of rainfall, an average amount according to records from 1991 to 2020.
According to data from the Technical General Subdirectorate of Conagua, the 2024 rainy season “will statistically end on Nov. 30.”
Mexico’s water reserves in numbers
Forty-two dams in Mexico are at or beyond full capacity, according to Conagua, amounting to 8.8 billion cubic meters of water. Meanwhile, 77 of Mexico’s dams reached 75% to 100% of their storage capacity totaling 35.1 billion cubic meters.
In contrast, 32 dams are between 50% and 75% of their storage capacity, amounting to 28 billion cubic meters. Finally, 57 dams recorded levels below 50%, totaling 8.2 billion cubic meters.
As of Nov. 4, the reservoir with the highest water levels was the Marte R. Gómez dam in Tamaulipas, with a 122% storage level.
Conagua also reported that the three reservoirs that make up the Cutzamala System — which supplies around 28% of the capital’s water — are at 67% capacity, with a total volume of 524.5 billion cubic meters.
Drought conditions in Mexico
According to the drought monitor published by Conagua and the National Meteorological System (SMN), as of Oct. 31, at least half of the country is not suffering from drought conditions.
However, parts of the Baja California Peninsula, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango and Coahuila are still seeing exceptional levels of drought.
In Chihuahua, which is experiencing drought conditions throughout the entire state, authorities have declared a state of emergency for the second year in a row. Furthermore, authorities expect Chihuahua to receive 40% less rainfall in 2025 than in 2024.
Seven of 11 justices voted in favor of a proposal to limit key aspects of the recently enacted judicial reform, one vote short of the special majority required to pass it.
(SCJN/Cuartoscuro)
The Supreme Court (SCJN) on Tuesday rejected a proposal to invalidate key parts of the recently enacted judicial reform, setting the stage for the direct election of more than 1,000 judges next year.
After opposition political parties filed a lawsuit against the controversial judicial reform, Justice Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá drew up a proposal under which only Supreme Court justices and electoral magistrates would be elected and all other judges would continue to be appointed based on qualifications and experience.
Supreme Court Justice Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá proposed to invalidate the provision in the judicial reform that allows all Mexican judges and magistrates to be elected. (Screen Capture)
After hours of debate, seven of 11 justices voted in favor of the proposal, one vote short of the special majority required to pass it.
A subsequent attempt by Chief Justice Norma Piña to lower the number of votes required to approve the proposal to six failed.
Three justices who are widely regarded as supportive of the federal government’s agenda voted against González’s draft ruling, as did Justice Alberto Pérez Dayán.
“I am in no way unaware of the consequences the constitutional reform in question will have on … legal certainty, … the division of powers and the principles of judicial independence,” Pérez said.
“… I personally resent it,” he added.
González himself opposed Norma Piña’s effort to set a lower threshold for the approval of his proposal, asserting that “the rules of the game” cannot be “established mid-play.” (Cuartoscuro)
Piña’s proposal to reduce the number of votes required to approve González’s draft ruling to six was rejected by six justices. Six votes will only be considered a supermajority in the Supreme Court once the number of justices declines to nine following judicial elections next year.
González himself opposed Piña’s effort to set a lower threshold for the approval of his proposal, asserting that “the rules of the game” cannot be “established mid-play.”
His draft ruling sought not just to limit the election of judges to Supreme Court justices and electoral magistrates, but also to strike down a “faceless judges” provision that allows judges to remain anonymous when ruling on cases involving organized crime.
Given the Supreme Court’s rejection of the proposal, preparations for large-scale judicial elections to be held on June 1, 2025, can continue.
Almost 1,500 judges, including nine Supreme Court justices, are set to be elected next year from candidates put forward by the president, the Congress and the judiciary itself.
The SCJN’s dismissal of González’s proposal also prevented a potential constitutional crisis, as the federal government had indicated that it wouldn’t comply with a ruling against the judicial reform.
President Claudia Sheinbaum and other federal officials maintained that the Supreme Court doesn’t have the authority to strike down a constitutional reform (or parts thereof) that has already been approved by Congress, ratified by a majority of state legislatures and promulgated by the president.
“The constitution is the maximum law,” Sheinbaum said last week.
Ernestina Godoy, legal counsel to the president, said approved constitutional reforms are not subject to judicial revision. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Last Thursday, she promulgated the so-called “constitutional supremacy” reform that prevents legal challenges against constitutional amendments. She could have used that reform to justify non-compliance with a Supreme Court ruling against the judicial reform.
Sheinbaum — who made her support for that reform clear before her landslide victory in the June 2 presidential election — argues that the election of judges is necessary to rid the judiciary of corruption and other ills such as nepotism.
Critics of the judicial reform argue that the election of judges will erode the independence of Mexico’s judiciary because it will come to be stacked with judges sympathetic to the ruling Morena party’s agenda, thus removing a vital check on executive power. Sheinbaum rejects the argument.
Reactions to the SCJN’s decision
Ernestina Godoy, Sheinbaum’s top legal advisor, acknowledged on social media that the Supreme Court rejected “the project of unconstitutionality against the reform to the judicial power.”
“It is now a reality. Judges, magistrates and Supreme Court justices will be elected by popular vote starting next year,” she wrote on X.
Godoy also said that the election of judges is “an advance for democracy, justice and the participation of the people.”
The judicial reform “will benefit all of us,” she added.
Ricardo Monreal, Morena’s leader in the lower house of Congress, described the Supreme Court’s rejection of González’s proposal, as “very important.”
“… Law prevailed, the Constitution prevailed, the moderation and wisdom of some of the justices prevailed,” he said.
Senator Alejandro Moreno said that Justice Pérez “threw his name into the dustbin of history,” and accused Morena of attempting to eliminate “counterweights” and the “opposition.”(@alitomorenoc/X)
Senator Alejandro Moreno, national president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), criticized Justice Pérez for what he called his “sudden change of position.”
In a post to X, he called the justice a “coward” and a “traitor to the people of Mexico.”
Pérez “threw his name into the dustbin of history,” Moreno added.
The PRI leader also took aim at Morena, accusing it of attempting to eliminate “counterweights” and the “opposition.”
PRI lawmakers “will continue demanding, by all means, more democracy, more justice and more freedom,” he wrote.
Senator Marko Cortés, president of the National Action Party, said on X that he “deeply” regretted the decision taken by the Supreme Court.
The court’s decision “threatens our democracy,” he wrote.
“We will not stop defending the division of powers, we will continue fighting for justice and equity,” Cortés added.
The news magazine Expansión reports that Mazatlán port officials hope to exceed 180,000 new vehicle imports by the end of 2024. (Puerto de Mazatlán/Facebook)
The massive influx of Chinese vehicles to Mexico in the past two years has increasingly saturated the country’s Pacific coast ports.
Adjustments in logistical operations and substantial investments in infrastructure have helped normalize port services, but experts agree that more is needed. Some are eyeing the port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, as a potential solution to the problem.
According to the newspaper El Financiero, nearly half of new imported vehicles coming into Mexico are arriving from China. (@GobDMazatlan/X)
Until 2022, Mexico’s Gulf coast ports dominated the auto import business, with most vehicles arriving from Europe and Brazil. Now, according to the newspaper El Financiero, nearly half of new imported vehicles coming into the country’s ports arrive from China.
Arrivals at Lázaro Cárdenas (Michoacán), Mazatlán (Sinaloa) and Manzanillo (Colima) on Mexico’s west coast have surged, with Mazatlán becoming the main beneficiary.
Official data shows Lázaro Cárdenas as the No. 1 recipient of new auto imports, however, Mazatlán has climbed to No. 3 with arrivals rising from an annual average of roughly 25,000 to more than 130,000 auto imports through September of this year.
The news magazine Expansión reports that Mazatlán port officials hope to exceed 180,000 new vehicle imports by the end of 2024.
Autos chinos llegan a México apilados como ‘Legos’
Desde colocar autos en posición vertical dentro de contenedores hasta adquirir camiones propios para su traslado, la saturación logística en los puertos ha llevado a implementar soluciones creativas.
As a result of this import boom, investors are scrambling to upgrade facilities while also attending to the satellite industries, such as warehouses and storage yards, that are increasingly popping up around the Sinaloa resort city.
However, new challenges have arisen.
Chinese shippers have found it more cost-effective to ship the vehicles in containers (arranging them vertically) rather than on the traditional ROROs (roll on/roll off cargo ships). This means cranes are needed to offload the containers while a different apparatus is needed to remove each vehicle.
The increased arrivals also require more efficient operations, another factor in Mazatlán’s favor.
Founded in Great Britain in 1924, MG Motor was acquired by Chinese SAIC Motor Corp in 2007 and has made significant inroads in the car market in Mexico. (Shutterstock)
While Lázaro Cárdenas has better infrastructure, Chinese auto importers must compete with a larger cast of importers there. As Mazatlán’s port operations began to grow, Chinese automakers looking to expand in Mexico, such as MG Motor, saw benefits to arriving at the Sinaloa port.
“The advantage we have in unloading (vehicles) in Mazatlán is a more stable flow,” Josimar Hernández, manager of MG México, told Expansión. “We can unload some in Lázaro Cárdenas and others in Mazatlán, depending on inventory needs.”
Should Mazatlán become a specialized automotive port? Experts weigh in
As demand for Chinese vehicles in Mexico continues to rise — El Financiero reported that demand has risen from 9.6% in 2019 to 18% in 2023 — one industry expert thinks Mazatlán should consider becoming a specialized port.
Mario Veraldo, co-founder of logistics firm MTM Logix, believes converting Mazatlán into an automotive port could be a winning move.
Mauricio Ortiz, director of the port’s cargo services provider Terminal Marítima Mazatlán (TMAZ), told Expansión that such a reorientation is worth considering, especially because TMAZ views the automotive sector as a key segment of port operations.
New infrastructure investments in Sinaloa
As reported by Expansión, TMAZ is preparing investments of US $30 million to upgrade infrastructure and build external storage facilities at the port over the next five years. But Ortiz says he expects nearshoring volumes — particularly in the automotive sector — to increase during those five years.
“What we are seeing with the relocation of [Chinese] auto assembly plants indicates they have interest in providing for the Mexican and Latin American markets,” he said. “First they build up import volume, generating critical demand, and then they’ll make decisions related to factory installation.”
Several Chinese automakers have expressed interest in nearshoring manufacturing to Mexico, including BYD and MG, which will put additional pressure on parts volume at Mexico’s Pacific ports.
The port, a joint venture of Mexico-based Caxxor Group and Texas-based Puerto Verde Holdings, is still in the studies and permitting stage. However, according to Sinaloa’s Economy Minister Javier Gaxiola Coppel, there is interest from U.S. investors in financing the initial stage of construction, which is estimated to require approximately $400 million.
In November, Gaxiola Coppel will travel again to Texas to continue negotiations, as reported by the news outlet Punto MX. There, he will meet with representatives of the governments of Durango, Coahuila, Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon regarding the “T-MEC corridor,” which seeks to improve logistics infrastructure between Mexico and the United States.
This new port — reported to have the potential to become “the most important in the country” — is viewed by state officials as complementary rather than a rival to Mazatlán.
Part of a larger complex and city, the Templo Mayor (Great Temple) was at the center of the political and religious life of the Mexica (Aztec) society. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The Templo Mayor archaeological zone, a sacred site in the heart of Mexico City containing remnants from the ancient metropolis of Tenochtitlán, has fully reopened to the public following extensive repairs to its roof, damaged by a rare hailstorm in 2021.
In conjunction with last week’s reopening, there is a new exhibition in the Templo Mayor Museum that includes more than 100 artifacts recently repatriated from the United States — among the more than 14,000 returned to Mexico during the six-year term of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The updated roof shields the oldest remnants of the site, including the shrines dedicated to war and sun god Huitzilopochtli and rain and fertility god Tlaloc. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The items on display include stone, ceramic and organic materials that were recovered through an undercover operation by Homeland Security agents in the U.S., according to an Oct. 31 press release from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The centerpiece is the “Ce ozomatli” (one monkey) tombstone which was donated to López Obrador last year. The round stone piece, with shell and turquoise inlays, includes the date “ce ozomatli,” indicating a predisposition for crafts and manual labor for those born under this date on the Nahua calendar.
The updated roof — a restoration milestone achieved under a joint project of INAH and the Mexico City government — now shields the oldest remnants of the site, including the shrines dedicated to war and sun god Huitzilopochtli and rain and fertility god Tlaloc, dating back to approximately 1390 AD.
Part of a larger complex and city, the Templo Mayor (Great Temple) was at the center of the political and religious life of the Mexica (Aztec) society. The temple itself consisted of four pyramids and the two shrines where Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc were venerated with elaborate pageantry and sacrificial offerings.
It was destroyed by Spanish invaders during the Conquest and fall of Tenochtitlán in 1521, and a Catholic cathedral was built with many of the same stones next to where it once stood. A key archeological finding in 1978 helped shed light on the site and the Mexica civilization.
Today the museum includes more than 3,000 important artifacts of Mexica culture.
In conjunction with the site’s reopening, there is a new exhibition in the Templo Mayor Museum that includes more than 100 artifacts recently repatriated from the United States. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The new roof installation required careful handling due to the site’s fragile relics and limited accessibility within Mexico City’s historic center.
“The site has not only improved physically, but has regained its relevance in the cultural narrative of the country and, above all, of Mexico City,” INAH Director Diego Prieto Hernández said in a press release. “The preservation of heritage is not limited to techniques and methods. It also involves understanding the meaning that these places have [within] the richness of our history.”
The Oct. 31 reopening also included a Day of the Dead altar dedicated to the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz.
Officials said the museum — the third-most visited INAH museum in Mexico City with an average of more than 500,000 visits per year — anticipates a renewed wave of visitors. The exhibit of repatriated items is open daily except Mondays, and will run through February 2025.
Sheinbaum has not shared an official statement regarding Trump's victory, saying "It's prudent to wait" until vote counting has concluded in the United States. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election on Tuesday is not a cause for concern for Mexicans in Mexico or the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday.
“To all Mexicans, there is no reason for concern. To our compatriots [in the U.S.], to their relatives here, to Mexican business people: there is no cause for concern,” Sheinbaum told reporters at her morning press conference.
“We are a free, independent, sovereign country and there will be a good relationship with the United States. I’m sure about that,” Sheinbaum said. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Her reassurance came despite Trump’s pledge to carry out “the largest deportation operation in American history” — an undertaking that could affect millions of undocumented, and documented, Mexicans in the United States — and his threats to impose tariffs on Mexican exports.
Sheinbaum said she would wait for vote counting to conclude in all U.S. states before issuing an official government statement on the results of the United States elections.
“It’s prudent to wait,” she said.
After seeking to reassure Mexicans about the impact of a second Trump presidency, Sheinbaum declared that Mexico “always moves forward.”
“We are a free, independent, sovereign country and there will be a good relationship with the United States. I’m sure about that,” she said.
Trump, the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, will be sworn in as the United States’ 47th president on Jan. 20 for a four-year term that will conclude in early 2029, the penultimate year of Sheinbaum’s six-year term.
His victory over Democratic Party candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris had a significant impact on the Mexican peso, which depreciated to 21.79 on Wednesday morning before strengthening slightly.
“We’re being invaded by Mexico,” he said at a rally in North Carolina, adding that he would inform Sheinbaum of his tariff plan on “day one or sooner.”
In an address in Detroit in October, Trump said that “upon taking office,” he would “formally notify Mexico and Canada” of his “intention to invoke the six-year renegotiation provisions of the USMCA.”
“… I’m going to have a lot of fun,” he said in reference to his plan to renegotiate the three-way trade pact he signed during his first presidency.
It remains to be seen what changes to the USMCA Trump will seek to make and what impact his proposed protectionist policies will have on the trade relationship with Mexico, the world’s biggest exporter to the United States.
Sheinbaum has stressed that the USMCA benefits Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, and asserted that the three countries “complement” each other rather than “compete” with each other.
With regard to Trump’s most recent tariff threat, Sheinbaum asserted Tuesday that there is a lack of information in the United States about “the effort Mexico has made to reduce migration” to its northern neighbor.
A Thanksgiving classic moves into a new neighborhood in this pumpkin pie chimichanga recipe. (Element5 Digital/Unsplash)
Thanksgiving, the holiday where everyone enjoys a feast and every stomach takes on a challenge, is the perfect time to shake things up. In these hours of turkey carving and cranberry sauce arguments, there is room for a little Mexican twist on tradition. That’s where you come in, ready to amaze your family with pumpkin pie chimichangas. Not the usual slice of pie they’ve had forever, but a crispy, cinnamon-flavored, pumpkin fiesta.
The day starts with the kitchen filled with the smells of flour and spices, and the stove making its soft hissing sounds. You lay out the tortillas like blank canvases and spread the spiced pumpkin filling. A sugar and cinnamon mix is sprinkled like magic dust. You can’t help but grin, thinking of Aunt Myrtle, the keeper of all family recipes, gasping when she sees this unexpected treat.
Leftover Halloween pumpkins? Try using them in your chimichangas. (Foursquare)
The chimichangas fry in hot oil, turning golden brown and crispy. You sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. The sweet smell drifts into the dining room, making everyone curious. ‘What’s that?’ someone asks, half excited, half unsure, as if the answer might change everything they know about their dessert reality.
You bring them out on a platter, the edges crunchy and inviting. Forks are picked up, careful bites are taken, and then— silence. That special quiet that only comes when people are truly surprised by how good something is.
“Wow,” Aunt Myrtle finally says, her eyes wide. “It’s…” She’s looking for the right word, one that sits between delight and new.
And you, knowing that the best Thanksgiving memories aren’t printed on place cards but told in stories around the table, nod. “Exactly.”
Pumpkin pie Chimichangas!? #thanksgiving #shorts
Pumpkin pie chimichangas
Ingredients
For the filling
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup chopped marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
For the chimichangas
6 large flour tortillas
1 egg, beaten (for sealing)
Vegetable oil for frying
For the topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped cream (optional)
Caramel sauce (optional)
Instructions
Make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, chopped marshmallows, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
Assemble the chimichangas: Lay out a tortilla and spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the pumpkin filling onto the center. Fold the sides of the tortilla in and then roll it up tightly like a burrito. Brush the edge with the beaten egg to seal the seam. Repeat for all tortillas.
Fry the chimichangas: In a deep skillet or pot, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 F (175 C). Carefully place the chimichangas seam-side down into the oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Coat with cinnamon sugar: While the chimichangas are still warm, mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow dish. Roll each chimichanga in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
Serve: Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired. Serve warm and let me know what you think!
StephenRandall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean. His recipes can also be found on YouTube.
A majority of Mexicans believe Sheinbaum would have a better relationship with Kamala Harris as president of the United States than with Donald Trump, according to a poll conducted by El Financiero. (@KamalaHarris/X)
The president has said there will be a “good relationship” with the United States regardless of the election outcome.
At Sheinbaum’s morning press conference or mañanera, on Nov. 5, the president was predictably asked about Trump’s threat to “immediately” impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican exports to the United States if the government of Mexico doesn’t stop what he called an “onslaught” of criminals and drugs to the U.S.
Here is a recap of Sheinbaum’s remarks in response to that question, and one other, at the National Palace on Tuesday morning.
Sheinbaum: There is insufficient information in the US about Mexico’s efforts to stem migration
“There will be a good relationship” with the United States, Sheinbaum said when asked about the tariff threat Trump made at a rally in North Carolina on Monday.
She subsequently claimed that neither Republican Party politicians nor Democratic Party representatives have “sufficient information” about “the effort Mexico has made to reduce migration” to the United States.
Sheinbaum cited the provision of employment to migrants and their “humanitarian return,” or deportation, to their countries of origin as examples of things the Mexican government has done to stem migration through Mexico to the United States.
“From December 2023 to October, the end of October, there has been a 75% reduction in migrants arriving at [Mexico’s] northern border,” she said.
Authorities working to combat risk of ‘disorderly growth’ in Tulum, Sheinbaum says
In response to a question from a Quintana Roo-based journalist, Sheinbaum said that there is a risk of “disorderly growth” in the Caribbean coast town of Tulum because of the presence of new transport infrastructure in the area, namely the Tulum airport and the Maya Train railroad.
On Sunday, the Tulum International Airport celebrated receiving its one-millionth passenger since opening in December 2023. (@MaraLezama/X)
“What we want is for Tulum to continue being a space linked to nature and for there not to be impacts on the tropical jungle and natural resources,” she said.
“So we’re working on that, both with the [Quintana Roo] governor and the mayor,” Sheinbaum said.
The objective, she said, is for Tulum to continue welcoming visitors but at the same time prevent any adverse impact on “nature” as well as “disorderly growth.”
There is a “similar case” in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Sheinbaum added.
The Pacific coast beach town also faces the risk of growing in a disorderly fashion “if there is not “territorial reorganization,” she said.
According to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), employment numbers in October were the highest since recordkeeping began in 1997. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s IMSS-affiliated formal sector workforce added more than 138,000 people in October, reaching its largest size on record, according to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS).
Over 22.6 million formal sector workers were registered with IMSS on Oct. 31, an increase of 138,139 compared to the end of September. In this case, a formal sector worker is one who works for an employer that pays into Mexico’s national social security system.
According to IMSS Director Zoe Robledo, 22.6 million formal sector workers affiliated with IMSS were employed as of Oct. 31, the most in October on record. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
“It’s the highest figure since 1997, when [formal sector employment] began to be measured with the methodology that is currently used,” IMSS director Zoé Robledo told President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference on Monday.
He noted that the creation of just over 138,000 formal sector positions in October was the second best monthly result in 2024.
“During 2024, from January to October, 594,000 jobs were created,” Robledo added.
Over the past 12 months, the formal sector workforces in México state, Hidalgo, Chiapas and Oaxaca grew the most, according to IMSS, with annual increases of more than 4% in each of those states.
It is worth noting, however, that Mexico’s national statistics agency Inegi reported in December that 31.7 million people are classified as informal workers, meaning that their jobs are not IMSS affiliated and that they receive none of the benefits IMSS ensures, such as free healthcare, holiday pay, vacation time and access to a retirement pension.
However, Inegi also reported at the time that informal sector jobs were down 1.6% from December 2023.
Formal sector salaries up over 9%
IMSS reported that the average base salary for IMSS-affiliated workers was 580.5 pesos (about US $29) per day at the end of October. That average daily wage is 9.2% higher in nominal terms than a year earlier, IMSS said.
Of the 22.6 million formal sector jobs in Mexico, approximately 9 million of them are held by women, according to Robledo. (Mexican government)
Robledo noted that the average daily salary at the end of 2018 – just after former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office – was 352 pesos.
He described the increase since then as “very significant” and noted that the average monthly salary for formal sector workers is now 17,414 pesos (US $860).
Robledo also highlighted that 86.6% of the 22.6 million formal sector jobs are permanent positions. Approximately 9 million of all formal sector jobs are held by women, he said.
That data, derived from the National Employment Survey, takes into account job creation and losses in the private formal sector, the public formal sector and Mexico’s vast informal sector.
INEGI reported a net loss of 275,986 jobs in September, around two-thirds of which were informal sector positions.
The number of people employed in Mexico’s primary and secondary sectors fell in September, while jobs in the tertiary or services sector increased. The nationwide unemployment rate in September was 2.9%.
The job losses in September came after the total number of people in work in Mexico declined by almost 627,000 in August.
The store, located in the adjacent municipality of Zapopan, spans 37,000 square meters, exceeding the area of IKEA stores in Mexico City and Puebla. (Enrique Alfaro/X)
After much anticipation, Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA will open its first store in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on Nov. 14. The store will be Mexico’s fourth location and the largest in the country.
“We have very high expectations for the first month,” Cédric Gulbierz, director of IKEA Guadalajara, told newspaper El Economista. “We hope to receive 60,000 visitors in the opening month because there are many people from Guadalajara who are waiting for us.”
IKEA Guadalajara’s director Cédric Gulbierz said that the new store will employ over 400 people, creating 310 direct and 100 indirect jobs. (Enrique Alfaro/X)
The store, located in the adjacent municipality of Zapopan, spans 37,000 square meters, exceeding the area of IKEA stores in Mexico City and Puebla.
“We are offering a different range of products from what our competitors have, with design, with prices and also with an offer that is not in the market today,” Gulbierz said.
With an investment of 3 billion pesos (US $147 million), IKEA Guadalajara features a self-service area of 10,000 square meters and 730 seats in the dining area. It will also employ over 400 people, creating 310 direct and 100 indirect jobs, according to Gulbierz.
Gulbierz said the decision to open a store in Jalisco is partly driven by the state’s demographics. The average age of residents is 28, and the population is growing at an annual rate of 1.6%.
This growth, he said, is expected to continue until 2050.
“It is no coincidence that this Swedish company, a world leader in home furnishings, has chosen to invest in our land for its development,” Governor of Jalisco Enrique Alfaro said in a post on X accompanied by images of him touring the store.
Guadalajara accounted for the highest amount of sales growth in IKEA’s online sales platform in Mexico – which this year became available in all of Mexico’s 32 states. IKEA Mexico expects the new store will draw 12% of its customers from cities outside the Guadalajara’s metro area.
Head of IKEA Retail Mexico Jaap Doornobs said that the Guadalajara store – featuring some 8,400 products – will improve the customer experience because it will have enough stock for customers to take home their selected furniture the same day.
Of all the products sold in the brand’s Mexican stores, 11% are manufactured in Mexico, Doornobs said. The company is seeking to collaborate with more local furniture manufacturers to up that percentage.
President Claudia Sheinbaum's plan aims to improve government-provided healthcare and expand access to that care to all Mexicans. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Federal health authorities announced Tuesday the five strategic components of Claudia Sheinbaum’s new health plan, which seeks to improve the coverage, quality, and accessibility of medical services in Mexico.
According to Deputy Health Secretary Eduardo Clark García, the plan includes concrete actions to expand medical care to the entire population, focusing particularly on vulnerable sectors and regions with limited resources.
One of Sheinbaum’s initiatives to improve public health in Mexico is to promote widespread vaccinations. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The plan includes the following goals:
1. Expansion of disease prevention and everyday health initiatives
Sheinbaum’s government plans to intensify vaccination campaigns, implement initiatives to tackle childhood and adult obesity, and improve the public health system’s monitoring of chronic diseases.
Last month, the Mexican government announced it will ban the sale of junk food — such as chips and sodas — in schools across the country beginning in March 2025 to eradicate childhood obesity and promote healthier eating habits among students.
2. Improving quality of care by reducing waiting times
In order to improve quality of care in Mexico’s state-run medical clinics and hospitals, Sheinbaum’s plan seeks to first maximize the potential of existing staff and infrastructure, achieved in part by strengthening the role of nursing staff.
A woman undergoes a scan for breast cancer in an IMSS dedicated breast cancer clinic in Mexico City. In isolated rural areas, many IMSS facilities lack such specialized equipment, meaning not all Mexicans have equal access to necessary care. (Cuartoscuro)
The initiative will require the presence of clinical treatment and surgical equipment in all of Mexico’s 282 rural hospitals to guarantee continuous care for populations in isolated communities 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is currently not always possible, as hospitals in such communities often lack full-time doctors, especially specialists and surgeons, and also sometimes don’t have advanced treatment, diagnostic and surgical equipment on site, forcing patients to go to larger population centers for specialized care.
3. Expanding the IMSS-Bienestar program for all citizens not in Mexico’s social security system
The IMSS-Bienestar (National Mexican Institute of Social Security and Wellbeing) institute will become the healthcare source for all Mexicans who don’t qualify for enrollment in the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) or the State Workers’ Social Security Institute (ISSTE) or the other smaller patchwork of similar institutions for state institutions like the military and Pemex.
Sheinbaum’s plan aims to ensure adequate free medicines for use in IMSS-Bienestar facilities as well as the rehabilitation of Mexico’s government-run hospital infrastructure — including the completion of dozens of IMSS hospitals that went under construction during the administration of former president Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018) but were never finished.
One way Sheinbaum’s government will address unequal access to public health care is to prioritize the completion of dozens of hospitals under construction across Mexico that were left unfinished by previous administrations, like this abandoned IMSS hospital building in Veracruz. (File photo)
The latter project was initiated by Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who also modernized more than 500 existing hospitals and clinics operated by ISSTE by the end of his six-year term in October.
Sheinbaum’s plan will create a Doctors of Wellbeing program, which will put together interdisciplinary medical teams to provide comprehensive and timely care in high-demand areas and in rural areas. To encourage participation by medical personnel, the government will offer monthly salaries of 39,000-43,000 pesos and monthly bonuses of 16,000 pesos, as well as financial and logistical support for transportation to rural hospitals, lodging and professional development.
4. Improve the supply of medicines and supplies in state-run facilities
Another frequent complaint about the government-run healthcare system all across Mexico is shortages of medicine and medical supplies. In October, the federal government announced it would allocate 130 billion pesos (US $6.4 billion) to purchase these items for 2025 and 2026 under a newly transparent and efficient system that Clark said would guarantee that state-run hospitals and clinics have what they need to treat patients.
Distribution is set to begin in March 2025.
5. Modernization and integration of Mexico’s public healthcare system
With this initiative, the government seeks to enhance the quality of medical care by eventually allowing people enrolled in one of Mexico’s government-run healthcare institutions to visit their nearest public healthcare facility, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the IMSS, ISSTE or IMSS-Bienestar program.
IMSS director Zoé Robredo said that this new policy will promote the use of digital records in public healthcare facilities. Currently, 53.7 million public healthcare participants in Mexico have a digital record, which allows patient care details to be shared across various institutions.
