Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has launched a new employment program as the nation braces for thousands to return home amid America’s deportation campaign. BBVA Research believes there are around 4.1 Mexican nationals illegally residing in the US, accounting for around 37% of the total undocumented population. Sheinbaum’s new proposal has been met with much criticism by the Mexican people, as they believe the government abandoned rural areas long ago.
The Conexión Empresarial Paisano platform is listing 63,880 new job openings through 220 companies across all 32 states. The current plan is to provide 50,000 of these new openings to people deported or willing to return from the United States. “Mexico wants them to know they are welcome and that they can find dignified, well-paying work,” said Francisco Cervantes Díaz, president of the CCE, to Síntesis.
Salaries are pennies in comparison to US minimum wage, although the cost of living in Mexico is drastically less. Operational roles will begin with a monthly salary between $424 and $843, while tech jobs will earn between $800 and $1,600 monthly. The average cost of living in Mexico for a single person is around $1,300 per month, according to some estimates, with a family of four averaging a bit beneath $3,000. One-bedroom rentals range from $329-$563 monthly, while a three-bedroom could cost upward of $990. Naturally it is cheaper to live outside major cities, as monthly housing costs in places like Monterrey or Mexico City are much higher.
It is clear to see why people fled Mexico for a better life in the United States, with even the lowest paying part-time jobs offering more. Based on 2024 data from BBVA Research, 35% of Mexicans fell in the “working poor” category, which is a historic low. Yet, in 2022 43.5% of the population lived in poverty. The average person earns a mere $373 monthly or 7,441 pesos.
It will be difficult for someone earning a living in the US on the USD to return to a nation offering a fraction of the pay in pesos. Millions were sending dollars back to their families in Mexico, aiding the Mexican economy in general. People are justifiably upset that the government is now offering jobs to people who have already chosen to flee the nation, believing this is merely political virtue signaling.
