Effective April 1, 2015, the minimum wage for geographical area known as “Zone B” will increase from $66.45 Mexican pesos per day to $68.28 MXN.  (Currently, $68.28 MXN equals to approximately $4.48 U.S. dollars).  The minimum wage for Zone A will remain at the same level, i.e., $70.10 MXN per day. The increase to Zone B’s minimum wage effectively reduces the gap that currently exists between geographical areas "A" and "B" by 50 percent.

The National Commission on Minimum Wages (“CONASAMI”) announced the increase through a publication on the Official Gazette of the Federation (“Diario Oficial de la Federación”) dated March 30, 2015. CONASAMI published a complete list of professional minimum wages that will become effective also as of April 1, 2015.

CONASAMI explained that the increase is due to an agreement reached by CONASAMI’s Council of Representatives (which consists of representatives of employees, employers, and the federal government), in an effort to create a national minimum wage.  Moreover, the agreement provides an additional increase for Zone B in October 2015, with the intended goal to create a single general minimum wage that will cover the entire national territory, bringing it to the Zone A level.

Employers should review their payroll practices and implement any necessary changes to comply with this increase.

To read this article in Spanish, click here.