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Mexico: Workers Face Fewer Holidays in Second Half of 2026
🇲🇽 Mexico /Culture & Society

Mexico: Workers Face Fewer Holidays in Second Half of 2026

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Mexican workers will have fewer than half of the year's official holidays remaining in 2026.
  • The Federal Labor Law (LFT) recognizes nine holidays, but two are tied to electoral processes and only occur every six years.
  • Workers required to labor on these holidays are entitled to triple pay.

Mexican workers face a dwindling number of official holidays for the remainder of 2026. While the Federal Labor Law (LFT) designates nine holidays annually, two are linked to electoral cycles and are only observed every six years. This means workers can only expect seven official days off in 2026.

The year typically begins with a holiday on January 1, followed by the first Monday in February (commemorating Feb. 5) and the third Monday in March (for Benito Juárez's birthday). April has no official holidays. May 1, Labor Day, offers a reprieve, and many companies voluntarily observe dates during Holy Week.

the answer turns out to be discouraging for many, as less than half remain

— El UniversalThe article explains the limited number of remaining holidays.

After these key dates, only three official holidays remain according to the LFT: September 16 (Independence Day), November 16 (in commemoration of November 20), and December 25 (Christmas).

Workers compelled to work on these designated holidays are legally entitled to receive triple their regular pay, as confirmed by the Federal Attorney's Office for the Defense of Labor (Profedet). Profedet clarifies that official holidays are non-working days, and employees who must work receive their daily wage plus double that amount.

workers who must present themselves to work on these dates will be entitled to receive triple pay.

— El UniversalThe article details compensation for working on holidays.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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