The Mexican manufacturing industry had a mixed performance during the first month of 2026 in terms of production, according to the results of the Monthly Survey of the Manufacturing Industry (EMIM), prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .
In January 2026, the physical volume of manufacturing production registered a decline of 1.8% compared to December 2025 , while at an annual rate it reported an increase of 0.1 percent.
According to Inegi, the number of people employed in the manufacturing industry increased 0.2% month-on-month in the first month of this year.
By type of contract , non-dependent personnel – who are hired and provided by another company and for fees or commissions without a fixed salary or wage – increased by 2.4%, while dependent personnel of the company rose by 0.1% monthly.
On a monthly basis, in January, the hours worked by employed personnel fell by 0.4%, while average real wages paid , that is, salaries, wages and social benefits, fell by 0.3% compared to December 2025.
In its annual measurement, employment fell by 2.5 percent. Hours worked in the manufacturing industry decreased by 2.6 percent, and wages registered an annual increase of 3.3 percent.
By subsector, the manufacture of petroleum and coal products saw the largest increase in production, with a 15% year-on-year growth rate. This was followed by the manufacture of computer, communication, measurement, and other electronic equipment, components, and accessories , with a 5.1% annual increase.
Conversely, one of the subsectors that registered one of the largest drops in the period was the manufacture of transport equipment , with a decline of 6.2% annually.
The Monthly Survey of the Manufacturing Industry shows the current economic behavior of the main variables of the country’s manufacturing sector, which has remained resilient in the face of the current global context, framed by constant trade changes.
According to an analysis by Grupo Financiero Ve por Más (BX+) , although Mexican industrial activity has shown imbalance, “it will possibly remain somewhat sluggish during the rest of the first quarter of 2026, although it will subsequently regain some traction.”
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