In the third quarter of 2025, Nuevo León's occupation rate rose to 96.8%, while informality fell to 34.2%, according to Inegi. This marks growth in the employed population and a drop in unemployment compared to the same period in 2024. Yet, compared to the previous quarter, there was a slight decline.
The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) reported that in the third quarter of 2025, the employed population in Nuevo León reached 2,926,943 people, equating to an occupation rate of 96.8% of the Economically Active Population (PEA). This is an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the 96.4% in the third quarter of 2024, with an absolute rise of 27,039 employed individuals.
The unemployment rate stood at 3.2%, a drop of 40 basis points from the 3.6% the previous year, with the unemployed population falling to 97,991 people, an 8.44% decrease from 107,019 in 2024.
Regarding informality, it declined to 34.2%, below the 34.9% from a year ago, meaning 11,052 fewer people in this sector, from 1,012,066 to 1,001,015.
However, compared to the second quarter of 2025, the occupation rate fell 40 basis points from 97.2%, and unemployment rose 40 basis points to 3.2%. Informality increased 0.5 percentage points to 34.2%, adding 19,939 more people in this area. A specialist attributed the quarterly drop in occupation to a 0.96% growth in the PEA, which went from 2,996,190 to 3,024,934 people, an increase of 28,744, though employed individuals rose by 15,739.
Nationally, ManpowerGroup noted that labor informality was 55.4% in the third quarter, affecting 33 million people, up 0.8 points from the previous 54.6%. Nuevo León had one of the lowest rates among northern states at 34.2%, behind Coahuila (33.3%) and ahead of Chihuahua (36.5%).
Fernando Bermúdez Pire, Director of Corporate Relations at ManpowerGroup, stated: “The rise in informality not only reflects an economic challenge but a reality that limits the labor development of millions of people. More than half of Mexico's workforce lacks benefits or social security, hindering the country's growth.” He added: “Informality perpetuates worker vulnerability without benefits, retirement savings, or stability. We need flexible formal hiring mechanisms and labor formalization policies aligned with today's job market reality.” Finally, he stressed: “Regional contrasts in informality rates highlight labor opportunity inequalities across the country. Addressing areas where the issue is most acute must become a priority.”