La Jornada: The labor market regained strength at the end of April: Inegi

The labor market recovered in the fourth month of the year after the decline observed in March, according to data released this Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). The boost came from the greater generation of employment in activities related to construction, restaurants and accommodation services, according to agency statistics.

Yesterday, Inegi published the National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE) with figures as of April. The document allows us to closely monitor the evolution of the labor market, by detailing how many workers have jobs, how many are looking for them, and under what conditions they participate in economic activity.

According to the information, the economically active population (EAP), that is, individuals aged 15 years or older who are employed or looking for work, totaled 62 million 125 thousand 707 people, 480 thousand 47 more than last March and an increase of 669 thousand 282, if compared to April 2025.

The employed population (all those individuals who have a job or an activity) amounted to 60 million 600 thousand 32, 448 thousand 146 more people compared to March and 704 thousand 51 more than there were in the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the unemployed population, described as those who do not have a job, but are available and actively looking for one, reached one million 525 thousand 675. That is, 31 thousand 901 people more than the previous month, but 34 thousand 769 less compared to the records of April of the previous year. Thus, the unemployment rate stood at 2.5 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the 2.8 percent reported in March.

The increase in the employed population in the annual comparison came from the increase in jobs in the secondary and tertiary sectors.

Secondary activities were those that generated the most employment. This sector – which includes construction and manufacturing – accounted for 15,492,735 employed people, that is, an increase of 599,861 compared to the same month last year.

Construction reported one of the greatest advances in the labor market. The number of people employed in this area amounted to 5 million 193 thousand 921, that is, 547 thousand 469 more than in April 2025.

For its part, the primary sector, which groups activities such as agriculture, livestock, forestry, hunting and fishing, reported an annual decrease in the number of employed people, since in April 2026 it concentrated 6 million 136 thousand 388 workers, that is, 98 thousand 721 less compared to the same month of the previous year.

Meanwhile, the tertiary sector, made up of commerce and services, maintained moderate growth. These activities employed 38 million 522 thousand 457 people at the end of April, a figure higher by 220 thousand 701 compared to the same month in 2025.