Yucatán Peninsula Leads Mexico in Low Labor Poverty Rates

Quintana Roo, Mexico — Workers in the Yucatán Peninsula have a higher likelihood of affording a basic food basket with their wages, placing the region’s three states—Quintana Roo, Yucatán, and Campeche—among the top 10 nationwide with the lowest labor poverty rates.

Improved Economic Conditions

According to the "traffic light" system by the association México, ¿Cómo Vamos?, all three states were marked in green, indicating favorable conditions in the national Labor Poverty Index. This metric measures the percentage of workers whose income is sufficient to purchase the basic food basket.

In Quintana Roo, only two out of every 10 workers face labor poverty, a 3% decrease from 2023, when the rate stood at 23.3%. Yucatán reported a rate of 26.1%, also showing improvement compared to the previous year, when three out of 10 workers could not afford the basic basket with their salaries alone. Campeche saw a decline from 37.1% in 2023 to 34.8% by the end of last year, remaining below the national average of 35.4%.

Wage Adequacy and Policy Proposals

The Mexican Employers' Confederation (Coparmex) emphasized that the minimum wage should cover the family welfare line, currently set at 9,360 pesos. This would ensure that the combined income of two formally employed individuals can sustain an average Mexican family of four. Currently, the General Minimum Wage covers 91% of this threshold.

Mario Machuca Sánchez, Secretary General of the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), proposed deducting income tax (ISR) from employees' paychecks to increase their take-home earnings.

National Comparison

Only 10 states nationwide achieved green status in the Labor Poverty Index, with the Yucatán Peninsula standing out. Baja California Sur leads the ranking, with just one in 10 workers experiencing labor poverty. In contrast, Chiapas reported the highest rate at 62%.

The National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval) estimates the cost of the basic food basket at 2,379.47 pesos. A worker earning the minimum wage of 248.93 pesos per day, working five days a week, could purchase approximately 2.09 basic baskets per month.

The data underscores the Yucatán Peninsula’s economic resilience, positioning it as a leader in reducing labor poverty nationwide.