Worker poverty increases

A local economist reports poverty among workers increased over the last year from 22.4 percent to 25.2 percent.

Economist Enrique Rovirosa told La Voz newspaper the rate means more workers are unable to make ends meet statewide. He said this calculation is based on statistics from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The Mexican agency reported the data on its National Survey of Occupations and Employment, he said.

“If food prices increase more than worker income, the purchasing power decreases and, therefore, the index of worker poverty climbs as well,” Rovirosa said.

The economist underlined the fact worker poverty nationwide is even worse than the situation in Baja California.

Rovirosa told the newspaper a contradiction has been uncovered in the state, as productivity and employment have been increased in the last years, but people working in the so-called “informal” sector — independent unregistered workers in small businesses — has also increased.

The state has reported 28,701 new jobs created in the year, according to statistics of the Mexican Institute of Social Security. According to this same agency, 55.3 percent of registered workers earn between $68.72 and $103.08 per week, and 28.3 percent have lower earnings.

Business organizations have proposed to increase the minimum wage by 10 percent.