Mexico Raising National Minimum Wage

Yesterday, Mexico’s secretary of labor and social welfare, Luisa María Alcalde Luján, announced the Mexican government’s intent to raise the national minimum wage.

Currently, the nationally mandated minimum wage in Mexico is 88.36 pesos per day. At the start of the new year on January 1st, 2019, that amount will be seeing a 16.2% increase to 102.68 pesos per day (about $5.10 USD based on current exchange rates). According to Luján, “in Mexico, minimum wage is not enough for the minimum. Mexico is a country of contradiction. We have one of the 15 most important economies in the world and at the same time we’re one of the worst in inequality.”

This increase will be a boon to many workers. According to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Mexican workers work the longest hours out of any country, but are in the bottom percentile for salaries.

In addition to this general increase for the country, workers at the northern border of the country will receive an even larger boost up to 176.72 pesos per day. This is part of the country’s efforts to improve the economy on the northern border. With these boosts, the lowest-paid Mexican worker will make around $102 USD per month. Still not ideal, but certainly an improvement.

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