In the second quarter of 2026, at the national level, the percentage of Mexico’s population experiencing labor poverty —whose labor income is below the value of the food basket— stood at 31.9 percent, representing an annual decrease of 3.2 percentage points, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).
However, after reaching its lowest level in more than two decades in the first quarter, at 30.7 percent, the income a person receives from their work that is insufficient to purchase their household’s basic food basket (labor poverty) increased on a quarterly basis.
Inegi specified that the percentage of the population experiencing labor poverty nationwide fell from 35.1 to 31.9 percent over 12 months, while compared with the previous quarter, it increased from 30.7 to 31.9 percent.
According to place of residence, the population experiencing labor poverty in rural areas decreased by 4.4 percentage points annually, from 49.1 to 44.7 percent. Meanwhile, in urban areas it decreased by 2.5 percentage points, from 30.8 to 28.3 percent.
Compared with the January–March period, labor poverty increased in the second quarter at the national, urban, and rural levels. Nationwide, labor poverty increased by 1.2 percentage points compared with the first quarter of 2026. Rural and urban areas also recorded increases during the same period, of 0.5 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively.
The states with the highest percentages of the population experiencing labor poverty during the second quarter of 2026 were Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, at 59.8, 52.9, and 52.2 percent, respectively. These are generally states with higher levels of employment in the informal sector.
The states with the lowest percentages were Baja California Sur, Baja California, and Colima, at 13.8, 17.3, and 19.7 percent, respectively.
Labor Income
In the second quarter of 2026, the average real monthly labor income of the employed population nationwide was 8,029.42 pesos. Employed women reported real labor income of 7,033.37 pesos, while men reported 8,734.06 pesos.
During the same period, real labor income per capita was 3,655.63 pesos, representing an annual increase of 8 percent.
In rural areas, an increase of 10.7 percent was observed, rising from 1,924.50 to 2,129.51 pesos per month. The quarterly variation in real labor income per capita increased nationally and also in rural areas, while in urban areas, where it stood at 4,085.87 pesos, a decrease was observed. The changes were 0.1 percent nationally and 1.7 percent in rural areas, while the decrease in urban areas was 0.3 percent.
Regarding real labor income per capita, 25 of the 32 states recorded an annual increase. The three largest increases occurred in Morelos (30.5 percent), the State of Mexico (20.9 percent), and San Luis Potosí (20.3 percent). The states with the largest declines in labor income during this period were Sinaloa (3.4 percent), Chihuahua (3.3 percent), and Quintana Roo (2.4 percent).
In the quarterly variation, 19 of the 32 states recorded an increase. The most pronounced increases were observed in Yucatán (5.7 percent), Oaxaca (4.9 percent), and Guanajuato (4.2 percent), while the largest reductions in labor income occurred in Michoacán (10.1 percent), Tamaulipas (7.3 percent), and Guerrero (6.5 percent).
The formally employed population reported monthly labor income of 11,043.63 pesos, while the informally employed population reported 5,706.91 pesos. Real monthly labor income for formally employed workers increased 2.1 percent annually, while income for informally employed workers grew 8.5 percent. In terms of quarterly variation, income for formally and informally employed workers decreased by 1 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the real wage bill —the total sum of the labor income of employed people— increased by 18.3 percent, rising from 374,281.33 million to 442,868.16 million pesos. This represented an increase of 68,586.83 million pesos during the period. The quarterly variation showed a decrease of 0.2 percent.
Source: jornada
