Mexico’s lower house of Congress has approved a major labour reform that seeks to gradually reduce the country’s standard workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours, marking one of the most significant changes to national labour laws in decades. The proposal cleared a key legislative hurdle late Tuesday when the Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly backed the bill’s general framework, with all 469 lawmakers present in the 500-member chamber voting in favour and none opposing it. Lawmakers later approved the detailed provisions of the legislation with 411 votes supporting the measure.
The reform aims to address long-standing concerns over Mexico’s demanding working conditions, as the country currently records more than 2,200 working hours per person annually — among the highest within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Despite long working hours, Mexico continues to struggle with comparatively low labour productivity and wages, while more than half of its workforce remains employed in the informal sector.
Under the proposal introduced by President Claudia Sheinbaum, the reduction in working hours will be implemented gradually rather than immediately. The weekly schedule will be shortened by two hours each year until the 40-hour standard is reached by 2030, a change expected to benefit approximately 13.4 million workers. If approved by a majority of Mexico’s state legislatures, the first reduction phase is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Supporters within the ruling Morena party described the reform as a step toward improving workers’ dignity and quality of life, arguing that productivity should not rely on excessive working hours. Labour leaders backing the measure said the reform reflects modern workplace standards and seeks to rebalance professional demands with personal well-being.
However, opposition lawmakers criticised the legislation, arguing that it does not constitute a genuine reduction in workload. They pointed out that the bill raises allowable weekly overtime from nine to twelve hours and does not mandate two rest days for every five working days, leaving employees with only one guaranteed rest day per six days worked. Critics also claimed the reform was rushed and incomplete despite lengthy parliamentary debate.
The bill had already secured general approval in the Senate earlier in the month, where the ruling coalition holds a majority. Once ratified by state legislatures, Mexico will begin a phased transition away from a 48-hour workweek — a system that has remained largely unchanged for more than a century — toward a shorter national working schedule intended to reshape labour conditions over the coming years.
