Micro-businesses boost employment for women: Inegi

In the first five months of 2024, women in Mexico made their way into the labor market in micro-businesses and small establishments, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).

As of May, women accounted for 41.6 percent of Mexico’s economically active population, a total of 24.87 million workers, while men accounted for around 34.93 million.

Women’s participation in the labor market is low, considering that approximately 51.1 percent of the population in Mexico is made up of women.

In Mexico, 60 percent of small and medium-sized businesses are headed by women and contribute around 37 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP), according to Inegi.

Salaried women, 66.9%

According to data from the National Employment and Occupation Survey of Inegi, 667,433 jobs were created in Mexico between January and May, driven by female employment, with 601,885 jobs in the reference period, while men occupied 65,548 positions.

In the non-agricultural sector, 749,306 jobs were added in the first five months of the year. Women’s jobs were the ones that increased the most, with 812,143, while 62,837 jobs among men disappeared.

In the non-agricultural sector, the micro-business subsector stands out, with an employment of 850,739 people from January to May. These ventures employed 562,966 women and 287,773 men.

Micro-businesses without establishments employed 353,645 women, while those with an establishment employed 209,321 of them. Small establishments hired 233,523 women workers in the first five months of the year.

Of the total number of employed women, 66.9 percent are salaried, 22.98 percent are self-employed, 5.17 percent are unpaid employees, 3.19 percent are employers and 1.7 percent are subordinate workers with non-salary income.