In 45 Days, Nogales Industry Might Fully Reactivate

NOGALES, SONORA, MX – In a month and a half, the Nogales manufacturing industry could be fully reactivated after the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week, the Federal Government approved eight additional industries to reopen. An additional 12 have also requested to restart operations and are awaiting approval.

During the next six weeks, workers will be gradually reintegrating into their job positions onsite.

In Nogales there are an estimated 44,500 employees in just one of the 107 industries.

Two months ago, when the government ordered that the non-essential factories had to stop working, approximately 27,000 workers were sent home.

Today, an estimated 80% of manufacturing factories are in operation, but the vast majority work partially with just a small percentage of the total workers.

The businesses considered essential in Mexico were originally Medical and Food, but since a few weeks ago, Aerospace, Construction, Automotive, and Mining were added to the “essential” classification.

After six weeks, there will still be a small percentage of employees who will not be working, older adults, and those with a subsequent health problem which puts them at high risk of getting infected with Covid-19.

During this week, manufacturing industries have worked on their sanitization protocols and re-design of workspaces, as well as hygiene policies to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

For an industry to return to operation, the Federal Government needs to grant approval.

During the pandemic, 1,247 jobs were lost in Nogales, and in three months, about 4,500 more could also be lost. Everything will depend on the behavior of the market in the United States, and if there is a demand for manufacturing in Nogales, Mexico.

Photo credit(s): File photo, Canva