The Future of Manufacturing in Mexico Depends on Workforce Health

As the world turns its attention to Mexico because of nearshoring and its demographic dividend, the overall health of its human capital remains a critical yet underestimated factor. Mexico’s workforce is facing a metabolic epidemic that is physically weakening workers, along with a mental health crisis that is eroding their performance. Both drain productivity, increase operating costs, and threaten the stability of any investment.

However, the Mexican government has deployed a range of regulatory and fiscal measures—including health-related taxes, front-of-package warning labels, and workplace well-being regulations—that turn this risk into an opportunity for value creation.

The Physical Health of Mexico’s Workforce

The quality of human capital in Mexico is shaped by a metabolic health crisis that compromises physical performance and operational continuity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached pandemic proportions. According to ENSANUT, 75.2% of adults are overweight or obese—38.3% are overweight and 36.9% are obese—while an alarming 81.0% have abdominal obesity.

Gender disparities are significant. Female workers face a higher risk of abdominal obesity (OR=2.5) and general obesity (OR=1.4). This health profile exponentially increases the risk of comorbidities, including hypertension (OR=3.6), dyslipidemia (OR=2.3), and type 2 diabetes (OR=1.7).

This situation is further compounded by clinical underreporting within companies, as workers self-report fewer illnesses than they actually have. The most affected age group—35 to 64—coincides with the peak of their productive years, reducing life expectancy by 10 years and undermining their professional trajectory.

The Mental Health Crisis

At the same time, Mexico leads global workplace stress rankings, surpassing China and the United States. Seventy-five percent of professionals experience fatigue caused by acute stress, while 27% experience chronic stress, with 74% attributing it to their work environment. Burnout syndrome affects more than 40% of office workers.

Only 27% of the workforce reports being engaged. Quiet quitting—reducing effort to the minimum required—undermines competitiveness. The transition to remote work blurred boundaries, creating isolation and demanding constant availability, in conflict with the necessary right to disconnect digitally.

The Economic Cost: What Poor Well-Being Costs Mexico

Physical and mental vulnerability translates into severe macroeconomic costs. Companies lose between USD 5 billion and USD 40 billion annually due to stress, turnover, and low productivity. In 2024, the IMSS recorded more than 23 million workdays lost due to disability leave. Anxiety and depression alone accounted for more than 1 million lost workdays in 2023.

The social cost of obesity exceeds MXN 85 billion annually: 73% for treatment, 15% due to absenteeism, and 12% due to premature death. The OECD projects that these chronic diseases will cause an average annual reduction of 3.3% in Mexico’s GDP over the next 30 years.

The financial impact of noncommunicable diseases of metabolic origin is equally high. The social cost of obesity in Mexico exceeds MXN 85 billion annually: 73% in direct medical expenses, 15% in losses due to absenteeism, and 12% due to premature mortality. The OECD estimates that, over the next 30 years, these chronic diseases will cause an average annual reduction of 3.3% in Mexico’s GDP.

Healthy Taxes (IEPS)

Since 2014, Mexico has increased taxes on products linked to health risks, including sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods, tobacco, and vaping products. In 2026, the tax reached MXN 3.0818 per liter for sugary beverages, while drinks containing sweeteners became subject to a new MXN 1.50-per-liter tax.

The tobacco tax rate increased to 200%, with an additional tax of MXN 0.8516 per cigarette in 2026 that will gradually rise to MXN 1.1584 by 2030.

Front-of-Package Warning Labels (NOM-051)

Since 2020, NOM-051 has required black warning labels on products containing excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, calories, or fat. Products with these labels cannot use children’s characters on their packaging.

Stricter requirements introduced in 2026 have encouraged companies to reformulate their products. Noncompliance can result in fines of up to MXN 358,480 or customs restrictions.

Occupational Health Regulations

Mexico has also introduced workplace standards to protect employees’ physical and mental well-being. NOM-035 addresses psychosocial risks such as excessive workloads, long working hours, and workplace violence. NOM-037 protects remote workers by establishing ergonomic requirements and the right to disconnect.

The IMSS also launched the ELSSA program in 2022 to promote safer and healthier workplaces. Between 2024 and 2025, it helped reduce 10,184 accidents across 2,522 workplaces and 1,001 occupational illnesses among 593 participating companies.

These policies create an ecosystem that positively affects workers’ overall stability.

Preventive healthcare reduces absenteeism, which is often grounds for contract termination. In addition, ELSSA prohibits discrimination on health grounds and guarantees medical confidentiality, prioritizing rehabilitation over sanctions and safeguarding both the right to decent work and the cohesion of the productive sector.

An Opportunity for the Savvy Investor

The quality and productivity of Mexico’s human capital is not simply a human resources issue; it is a financial variable that defines the success of any operation in the country. Investors who understand this dynamic and align their strategies with the new workplace well-being ecosystem will not only protect their investments, but also capitalize on one of the most profound transformations Mexico’s labor market has experienced in decades.

The true multiplier of return on investment is the overall well-being of the talent you hire and retain. To achieve this, you need a partner who not only understands the law, but also understands people.

Prodensa is that partner. It will not only help you comply with NOM-035, NOM-037, and ELSSA standards, but also help you build an organizational culture in which the health and productivity of human capital become drivers of profitability.

In the race for the productivity of the future, the advantage will not belong to the company that hires at the lowest cost, but to the one that retains and develops the healthiest, most stable, and most engaged workforce.

ENSANUT: Mexico’s National Health and Nutrition Survey. It provides data on the population’s health and nutritional conditions, including rates of overweight, obesity, and related risk factors.

IEPS (Special Tax on Production and Services): A Mexican tax applied to products associated with health risks, including sugary beverages, ultra-processed foods, tobacco, and vaping products.

NOM-051: Mexico’s front-of-package labeling standard. It requires black warning labels on products containing excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, calories, or fat.

NOM-035: A workplace regulation that requires employers to identify and prevent psychosocial risks, such as excessive workloads, long working hours, and workplace violence.

NOM-037: A regulation focused on remote work. It establishes ergonomic protections and recognizes employees’ right to disconnect digitally outside working hours.

ELSSA: An IMSS program whose name stands for Safe and Healthy Work Environments. It promotes continuous improvement in areas such as accident prevention, occupational health, toxicological monitoring, and the prevention of gender-based violence.

How does workforce health affect productivity in Mexico?

Workforce health directly affects physical performance, absenteeism, concentration, retention, and operational continuity. Poor physical and mental health can increase operating costs and weaken the long-term stability of an investment in Mexico.

What are the main health risks affecting employees in Mexico?

The most significant risks identified in the blog are overweight and obesity, metabolic diseases, workplace stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. According to the data presented, 75.2% of Mexican adults are overweight or obese, while more than 40% of office workers experience burnout.

Which workplace health regulations should employers in Mexico understand?

Employers should pay particular attention to NOM-035, which addresses psychosocial risks such as excessive workloads and workplace violence, and NOM-037, which regulates remote-work conditions, ergonomics, and the right to disconnect. Companies can also participate in the IMSS ELSSA program to strengthen occupational health and accident prevention.

How can companies improve workforce stability and retention?

Companies can strengthen stability by investing in preventive healthcare, reducing psychosocial risks, improving workplace ergonomics, protecting medical confidentiality, and prioritizing rehabilitation over sanctions. These measures can reduce absenteeism, burnout, presenteeism, and quiet quitting while helping retain specialized talent.

• Workforce well-being should be treated as a financial and operational variable, not only as an HR responsibility. It influences productivity, costs, retention, and the success of an operation in Mexico.
• Mexico’s workforce faces simultaneous physical and mental health pressures. High rates of obesity, chronic disease, stress, and burnout can affect employees during their most productive working years.
• The economic impact is significant. Stress, turnover, low productivity, disability leave, obesity, and chronic diseases generate substantial costs for employers and the Mexican economy.
• Compliance with NOM-035 and NOM-037 is only the starting point. Companies should use these standards to build healthier work environments, manage psychosocial risks, and establish clearer boundaries for remote work.
• Preventive health strategies support operational continuity. Reducing absenteeism and occupational risks helps protect specialized human capital and lowers the risk of employment disruption.