A record that, surprise, everyone saw coming
In a turn of events that absolutely no one could have predicted (well, perhaps those who read the official press releases), Mexico has reached a historic number of formal jobs. President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, with the contained emotion of someone who discovers wet water, highlighted how “very positive” this 1.3% increase in new jobs during the second quarter of the year is for the economy. A fact so good that he even said it twice in the same statement! Precision is key, friends: first there were 515 thousand jobs, but then, as in a happy accounting accident, the INEGI reported 600 thousand jobs. A miscalculation? Not at all! It’s just the magical world of statistics where numbers sometimes grow by themselves.
The director of the IMSS, Zoé Robledo Aburto22.8 million souls affiliated to social security. It is the highest record in history, a milestone that will undoubtedly make informal workers wipe away a tear of emotion… or envy. The most comforting thing is to know that 86.7% of these jobs are permanent. In other words, 19.8 million people have the good fortune of knowing that their boss cannot fire them so easily… at least in theory. What a relief, right?
Salaries and other optical illusions
But wait, there’s more. It’s not just work, it’s well-paid work. At least that is what the recorded average salary suggests, which has climbed to the stratospheric figure of 624.9 pesos per day. An increase of 7% in the last twelve months that, doing quick calculations, may be enough to buy an extra avocado a week. President Sheinbaum, in a moving act of generosity, announced that the minimum wage will rise, which in turn will boost the base contribution salary. It’s the classic chain reaction: the government raises a minimum, companies trade a little more and we all live happily ever after. The theory is impeccable.
In case anyone doubted the economic miracle, the total remunerations of employees reached a whopping 298,061 million pesos, with an annual growth of 6.5%. With so much money circulating, one wonders why inflation is just a bad dream from which we will soon wake up. The economy, it seems, is a perfect machine for making bills… which curiously do not always end up in the pockets of those who need them.
The educational distractor: when employment is not enough
In a masterful move to change the subject (because who wants to talk only about money?), the president diverted the conversation to education. It reported 37% progress in the six-year goal of creating 150 thousand new places for high school. And he presented the jewel in the crown: the cyberbaccalaureate. It sounds like the future, like innovation, like something that requires a cyber helmet. In reality, it is an evolution of the telebaccalaureate that, in addition to new subjects, promises sports and cultural activities. “They will be close to the house,” he assured. Because nothing encourages exercise and culture more than not having to leave the couch. Brilliant.
To top off the act of benevolence, he called on parents whose children were medically evaluated in schools to collect their results sheet. Among the prizes for participating: free lenses. Because in this country of record employment, sometimes what is missing is simply to see reality better.
Are you surprised by these employment figures or were you already expecting them? Share this ironic note with your contacts on social networks and test their sense of economic humor. And if you want more analysis with a touch of sarcasm about the national reality, explore more of our related content.
