By Viviana Cervantes
In the international logistics sector, the border shared by Mexico and the United States is vital. It is a door to global consumption through the 57 international bridges that cover the territory between both nations. It covers 10 states, four of which are located on the US side (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas); and the six in Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas).
The border is 3,153 kilometers long, and represents the fourth-largest economy in the world. It begins on the Mexican side in Baja California, with international bridges adjoining the state of California, USA: the Tijuana-San Ysidro (Chaparral); Mesa de Otay-Otay; Tecate-Tecate; Mexicali-Calexico West; Mexicali-Calexico Imperial Valley; Los Algodones-Andrade; the Tijuana-San Ysidro; Mexicali-Calexico railways; and the Tijuana-San Diego airport pedestrian connection.
In the state of Sonora, Mexico, there is direct connectivity to Arizona, USA via 10 international bridges: San Luis Río Colorado I and II; Sonoyta-Lukeville; Sasabe-Sasabe; Nogales-Mariposa; Nogales I- Deconcini; Naco-Naco; Agua Prieta-Douglas; the Nogales railway; and the Nogales II-Deconcini pedestrian street.
The Boundary and Water Commission (CILA) notes that from Chihuahua, Mexico there are 12 international highways. Three border New Mexico on the US side: the El Berrendo-Antelope Wells International Bridge; Rodrigo M. Quevedo-Columbus; and San Jerome-Santa Teresa. The rest lead to Texas, USA: Ferroviario Del Norte-Santa Fe I and II; Paso del Norte; Del Buen Vecino; Córdova-Las América; Zaragoza-Ysleta; Guadalupe-Tornillo Replacement; Porvenir-Fort Hancock; and Ojinaga-Presidio.
In Coahuila, Mexico, the six routes to Texas are: Piedras Negras railway; Boquillas del Carmen-Rio Grande Village International Bridge, La Amistad International Crossing; Ciudad Acuña-Del Rio; and Eagle Pass I and II.
On the Mexican side, the state of Nuevo León also borders the General Bernardo Reyes-Colombia Solidaridad International Bridge in Texas.
Tamaulipas, in Mexico, is the state with the most international bridges and connections, with 20 that border Texas: Nuevo Laredo III-Comercio Mundial International Bridge; Nuevo Laredo-Laredo railway; Nuevo Laredo I-Puerta de las Américas; Nuevo Laredo II Juárez-Lincoln; Falcón Dam; Miguel Alemán-Roma; Carmargo-Rio Grande City; Chalan Díaz Ordaz-Los Ébanos; Reynosa-Mission; Reynosa Hidalgo I and II; Reynosa-Pharr; Rio Bravo-Donna; Nuevo Progreso-Progreso; Lucio Blanco-Los Indios Libre Comercio; the Matamoros-Brownsville railway; B&M; Matamoros-Brownsville International Gate; and Matamoros III-International Veterans.
The Mexican labor market has already overcome all the setbacks from Covid-19
Employment indicators in Mexico have re-established themselves at pre-pandemic levels, and some are even at all-time highs. However, structural problems are still present, such as informality and the quality of employment.
A little over three years after the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in Mexico, the labor market has overcome all the consequences of the contagion and the setbacks it caused. According to the National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE), the main indicators have already exceeded what was observed before the pandemic, several of them at historical levels.
The information published by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reflects that in March of this year the labor participation rate was 60.5% of the population of working age, a growth of 0.7 percentage points compared to the same period in 2020. The currently employed population is 59 million people, 3.5 million more than before the pandemic. On the other hand, open unemployment affects 1.4 million people: 214,942 less than three years ago. This has allowed the unemployment rate to fall from 2.9% to 2.4%, a new all-time low for the indicator.
According to Marcos Daniel Arias Novelo, a Monex analyst, the latest labor statistics reported by INEGI «were at their best levels in recent economic history.» For example, he notes, the unemployment rate of 2.4% is not only a record low in Mexico, it is also the lowest of the G20 countries, which has never happened before.
