The Mexican maquiladora industry has lost 100,000 jobs in the last two years due to automation and artificial intelligence, according to data from Inegi and the IMMEX programme.
The Mexican maquiladora industry has eliminated 100,000 jobs in the last two years as a direct consequence of automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence. This is reflected in data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) and the IMMEX programme, which groups export industries.
In February 2026, the IMMEX programme registered 3,157,000 workers, a 2.6% decrease from the previous year. Manufacturing plants were the most affected, with a 3% annual decline in their workforce.
Ciudad Juárez, one of the main maquiladora hubs, lost 12,198 jobs in 2025 alone, dropping from 307,503 workers in December 2024 to 295,305 in December 2025. The decline is even more pronounced when compared to the peak of 326,388 employees recorded in June 2023: by November 2025, the figure had fallen to 259,561, representing a reduction of 66,827 positions, or 20.47% of the city's maquiladora workforce.
Paradoxically, the number of IMMEX establishments in Ciudad Juárez increased from 321 to 326 during the same period. This indicates that there are more plants, but with fewer jobs per unit, reflecting a technological reshuffle where robotics and AI are replacing repetitive tasks.
The trend extends across the northern border. In August 2025, IMMEX companies in border states lost 104,961 jobs compared to the same month in 2024. Chihuahua led the job losses with 33,750 fewer positions, followed by Coahuila (23,481), Sonora (17,686), Tamaulipas (15,067), and Baja California (14,977). Only Nuevo León escaped the negative trend and generated jobs.
Tamaulipas closed 2025 with 280,000 maquiladora jobs, even below the floor of 283,000 recorded during the pandemic in 2020. Since the peak of 320,000 positions reached between 2021 and 2022, the border corridor has lost nearly 40,000 jobs in four years. In the first quarter of 2026, the state reported between 5,000 and 10,800 additional layoffs, according to data from IMSS.
Nationally, the IMMEX programme decreased from 2,997,482 workers in June 2023 to 2,817,307 in November 2025, a reduction of 180,175 positions in two and a half years.
Automation is advancing rapidly due to multiple factors: rising labour costs at the border, trade uncertainty due to tariff policies, pressure for quality and traceability in global supply chains, and the maturity of Industry 4.0 solutions that were prohibitive five years ago.
Teresa Delgado Zárate, spokesperson for the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index Juárez), confirmed in January 2026 that the industry is undergoing a period of adjustments where robotics and artificial intelligence are key players. The business reading is clear: it is not just about reducing costs, but about maintaining competitiveness in the face of geopolitical pressures and fluctuating demand.
According to data from ECLAC and the Bank of Mexico cited in 2026 reports, 41.4% of jobs in Mexico are in high-risk occupations for automation. In the manufacturing sector, that exposure reaches 63% of employment. This does not mean immediate replacement, but rather a heightened vulnerability in repetitive and standardised tasks.
For founders and entrepreneurs operating in manufacturing or relying on maquiladora suppliers, this data is a clear signal: operational efficiency through automation is no longer optional, it is survival. The Mexican industry is heading towards a more technified model, with fewer jobs per plant but greater productivity.
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