San Luis Potosí Starts with Nearly 3 Thousand New Formal Jobs in January 2026

Despite January often being a challenging month for the labor market in Mexico, San Luis Potosí managed to generate nearly three thousand new formal jobs, according to data from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). In this regard, San Luis Potosí aligned with the national trend, as the report released by the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) indicated a year-on-year creation of 197,426 formal jobs nationwide, representing a 0.9% growth rate.

Furthermore, the total number of formal job positions in Mexico recorded its highest figure for a January in years. As of the start of 2026, there are 22,508,972 insured workers:

January 2020: 20,490,397 formal jobs
2021: 19,821,651
2022: 20,762,419
2023: 21,484,595
2024: 22,133,407
2025: 22,311,546

However, on a monthly basis, Mexico experienced a negative variation, with a loss of 8,104 formal jobs, representing a 0.4% decrease.

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Permanent Jobs Stand Out in Labor Trends

Of the total formal jobs in Mexico:

86.9% correspond to permanent positions.
13.1% are temporary jobs.
Permanent positions totaled 19,568,657, also the highest level recorded for a January.

Formal Jobs in San Luis Potosí Address Losses

The formal labor market in San Luis Potosí began 2026 with contrasting signals. For example, by the end of January 2026, the state recorded 481,061 formal jobs.

This figure, while showing a recovery compared to the close of the previous year, remains below both the level observed a year earlier and the recent historical maximum.

In the year-on-year comparison, January 2026 showed a contraction compared to January 2025, when 485,398 formal jobs were recorded (a decrease of 4,337 job positions).

This setback confirms that, despite the resilience of San Luis Potosí’s labor market, the employment level has not yet fully recovered the base achieved at the beginning of the previous year.

San Luis Potosí Adds Nearly 3 Thousand New Jobs in January 2026

However, the interpretation changes when observing the monthly variation.

Compared to December 2025, when 478,232 formal jobs were recorded, San Luis Potosí generated 2,829 new formal jobs in January 2026, representing a monthly growth rate of 0.6%.

This progress suggests a positive start to the year, associated with the reinitiation of productive activities following the seasonal December shutdown and the partial reactivation of hiring in industrial and service sectors.

On the other hand, the most significant contrast appears when comparing January 2026 with the highest peak of formal employment, reached in March 2025, when the count reached 491,265 positions.

The difference between these two months is 10,204 formal jobs lost, which implies a gap of –2.1% relative to the recent historical maximum.

Key Figures for Formal Employment in San Luis Potosí:

- Annual Comparison (January 2026 vs January 2025): 4,337 jobs lost -Monthly Comparison (January 2026 vs December 2025): 2,829 jobs generated -Comparison January 2026 vs March 2025: 10,204 jobs lost

What is the Challenge for the Formal Labor Market in San Luis Potosí?

This data quantifies the pending recovery margin and demonstrates that San Luis Potosí’s labor market still operates below its highest point, despite the short-term rebound observed.

Collectively, the figures show a labor market that is improving on a monthly basis but still faces lagging indicators in the annual comparison and against its historical peak.

For San Luis Potosí, the challenge in the coming months is to consolidate the growth observed since December and close the gap of over 10,000 jobs that separates it from its highest level of formal occupation.