EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Mexico’s four largest border cities lost thousands of jobs in September, and Mexican business leaders blame U.S. tariffs and higher wages, among others, for the losses.
Tijuana reported a loss of 18,851 non-farm jobs in September 2025 compared to September 2024. Juarez lost 6,074 similar jobs, marking the 24th consecutive month of decreased employment.
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Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa also lost thousands of non-farm jobs – 2,130 and 1,679, respectively – in September, according to the November Paso del Norte Economic Indicator Review from the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness at the University of Texas at El Paso.
A deeper dive into the jobs situation in Juarez, where U.S.-run maquiladoras are by far the principal employer, shows the bleeding in the manufacturing sector offset gains in hiring by the services and other industries. Juarez lost 8,746 manufacturing jobs in September, the Hunt Institute reported…