Abstract

LOMELI VANEGAS, Leonardo  and  VAZQUEZ MAGGIO, M. Laura. Structural change and migration. The case of Mexico. Economía UNAM [online]. 2016, vol.13, n.39, pp.3-25. ISSN 1665-952X.

With the onset of the 1982 debt crisis, the Mexican economy left behind a period of significant and sustained growth that in the mid-1980s gave way to structural changes. These changes were based on redefining Mexico's foreign economic relations, which were to be characterized by greater trade and financial openness, greater acceptance of foreign investment, and a restructuring of the economic role of the state, leading to the prevalence of policies favoring privatization and deregulation. Over the thirty plus years since this process began, Mexico experienced slow economic growth that fell short of expectations created by the structural changes, and which is at odds with the needs of the country's current demographic changes, given that the working-age population is now greater than at any time in history. Weak economic growth has prevented most people seeking employment in the formal sector from being hired, leading a significant segment of the population to turn to informal activities or to emigrate from the country. This paper seeks to analyze migratory tendencies in the wider context of structural change.

Keywords : Structural Change; Mexican Economy; Migration; Mexico.