Marcelo Delajara

Rocío Espinosa

Claudia Fonseca

Martha Anker

Richard Anker

Documento de trabajo CEEY no. 11 / 2020

This report uses the Anker methodology to estimate the living wage for the urban non-metropolitan and rural areas of northwestern Michoacan, Mexico. This area is typical for non-industrialized non-metropolitan Mexico. The Anker methodology was already used before in more than forty living wage studies around the world, and thus it yields internationally comparable estimates for the case of this semi-urban area of Mexico. The results highlight the scope for improving the minimum wage in Mexico, so that it can fulfill its constitutionally determined objective of allowing workers and their families to achieve a dignified standard of living. In particular, it is important to note that in Mexico there is still no official minimum wage for agricultural workers (“jornaleros”). Thus, this work could constitute an important reference in the calculation of said minimum agricultural wage.