Overview
- The reform, published in the Diario Oficial, requires the weekly limit to fall from 48 to 46 hours in 2027, then to 44 in 2028, 42 in 2029 and 40 in 2030, and it bars any cut to salaries or benefits.
- A mandatory electronic registry of hours is set to start on January 1, 2027, but the Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS) has not released the operating rules that will define scope, exceptions and compliance procedures.
- Surveys show low preparedness: EY finds about 27% of firms have taken concrete steps, Kelly reports roughly 18% fully ready, and OCCMundial says 59% of workers have little or no information on how the change will apply at their workplaces.
- Analysts warn the reduction could be offset by more paid or informal overtime — EY reports 71% of operating firms rely on extra hours and Deloitte models a pessimistic scenario where overtime raises costs, hurts real wages and boosts unemployment.
- Enforcement and operations pose major challenges because Mexico has roughly 600 federal labor inspectors versus an international benchmark of about 7,400, and continuous‑operation sectors such as maquiladoras, hospitals and 24/7 services must redesign shifts or add staff or automation to keep output.