Overview
- Argentina’s Net Employment Expectation stands at +10% for January–March 2026, up five points from the prior quarter but still 14 points below the 24% global average and among the weakest in Latin America.
- Finance and insurance lead Argentina’s hiring plans at 27%, followed by construction and real estate at 20% and hospitality at 19%, with the NEA region at 15%, Pampeana and Patagonia at 13%, and Cuyo at 0%.
- Mexico’s net employment trend falls to 24% for Q1 2026, its lowest in a year, with 38% of employers planning to hire, 15% to reduce staff, 34% to hold steady and an unusually high 13% undecided, a posture executives describe as “ultra conservative.”
- In Mexico, finance and insurance show the strongest intent at 49%, with construction and real estate and commerce and logistics at 25% each; hiring optimism is highest in the North (33%) and Noroeste (31%).
- ManpowerGroup links Mexico’s caution to U.S. tariff risks, early T-MEC renegotiation signals and higher labor costs from a 13% minimum-wage increase and a coming 40-hour week, and projects 150,000–300,000 formal jobs in 2026 versus Banxico’s 260,000–460,000.