STPS Will Increase Its Budget for 2027

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) has projected that it will nearly double its budget for inspections by 2027, according to the Federal Expenditure Budget Bill. Funding would increase from US$1.34 million to US$2.4 million, based on the requested allocation.

If this proposal is approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the STPS’s General Directorate of Inspection would receive a 79.4% increase in nominal terms—the highest increase in the last decade, albeit starting from its lowest point during that same period.

The increase in funding for inspections is part of the effort to strengthen the Budget Program for the Implementation of Labor Policy, which includes an increase in the budget allocation for the Decent Work Unit, which amounts to US$21 billion—a significant increase compared to the US$5 million allocated in 2026.

As part of this increase, not only will the inspection division receive a larger budget, but so will the departments of Vocational Training and Social Security, along with the agency’s regional offices.

According to the STPS’s programmatic strategy, the resources allocated for the implementation of labor policy enable the development of initiatives to promote decent work, prevent occupational hazards, and improve working conditions.

“The policy will be implemented through inspection and monitoring; self-management and voluntary verification mechanisms; standardization, advisory, approval, and follow-up activities carried out by private organizations; and opportunities for the public, social, and private sectors to participate in occupational safety and health matters,” the agency states

From this perspective, the budget increase is not only part of an effort to strengthen inspections but also of alternative enforcement mechanisms—measures that the agency has reinforced in recent years.