Mexico May Add Six More Holidays to Federal Labor Law

Mexico City, Mexico — The Chamber of Deputies is analyzing an initiative to expand mandatory holidays from 9 to 15 days in the Federal Labor Law, adding six more holidays and three new long weekends in May, June, and October. The proposal, presented by Deputy Emilio Suárez Licona of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), aims to improve work-life balance, reduce stress, and increase productivity.

Currently, Mexico has nine official holidays, including New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, and Christmas. The reform would add dates such as Flag Day (February 24), International Women’s Day (March 8), Battle of Puebla Day, Day of the Dignity of Indigenous Peoples, Day of the Pluricultural Nation, and Day of Mestizo Pride and Mexican Identity (December 12).

With this initiative, the legislature has accumulated nine projects seeking to expand holidays, although none have been ruled on so far. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Mexico is among the Latin American countries with the fewest official holidays, while economies such as Chile and Argentina recognize between 13 and 14 days per year.