Manufacturing employment has increased in June

Employment in the country’s manufacturing sector rose by 0.1% in June, marking the end of a four-month streak of consecutive monthly job losses, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).

During the sixth month of this period, growth was recorded in the payroll of 10 of the 21 economic sectors that INEGI monitors through the Monthly Manufacturing Industry Survey.

The secondary upturn helped reduce the year-over-year decline in that indicator, which went from a 2.1% decrease to a 1.5% decrease in the same year. However, the variable had already posted 40 consecutive months of year-over-year declines.

However, the variable had already posted 40 consecutive months of year-over-year declines.

Similarly, during the first six months of 2024, the indicator had stood at 1.8% during the same period the year before that, declining by 0.2% and marking four consecutive years of contraction since then.

During this period, the survey reported layoffs in 18 of the 21 economic sectors it tracks, with a closer look at the 10 largest sectors; starting with transportation equipment manufacturing at -5.4, while textile manufacturing recorded -4.5; on the other hand, apparel manufacturing recorded -3.8, the plastics and rubber industry recorded -3.6, and the manufacture of furniture, mattresses, and blinds recorded -3.5,

 while the manufacturing of textile supplies and textile finishing recorded -3.4; machinery and equipment manufacturing recorded -3.4; the paper industry recorded -2.9; the wood industry recorded -2.4; and printing and related industries recorded -2.3.

Meanwhile, the computer industry stood out as a notable exception to this general decline in manufacturing employment, particularly in the sector that manufactures computer, communications, and measurement equipment, as well as other electronic equipment, components, and accessories, where hiring rose by 3.4%.

This increase has coincided with the growth in computer exports to the United States, where a wide variety of technology companies are making significant investments in data processing infrastructure, generally associated with artificial intelligence.