Job Discussion Forums

[Guy Courchesne]

I get asked by a lot by people here in Mexico why I would choose to move from Canada to this country, while so many Mexicans are flooding north. I arrived in 2000, and my answers have always revolved around culture or the idea of just being in a different place and escaping the Canadian 'mediocrity' that I find typifies life there, not to mention the climate.

Browsing around online, I came across some interesting stats on the Mexican economy, politics, and life in general here. Here's one place...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico#20th_and_21st_centuries

Confirms a lot of what I've noticed in my several years here. Living and working in Mexico City was already like going national in Canada, given the population here. Living standards for me have always been on a par with where I come from, and rising each year I'm here. Mexico City folk, to my eye, have seen a large growth in living standards too.

Geez, just look at this forum and how many more righties there are now over fire-and-brimstone lefties.

One stat that caught my eye on the website linked above is the prediction that Mexico will displace most European countries, as well as Canada, on wealth and the size of the economy. No surprise to me, but neat to see it as actual economic theory. Makes me think that some day soon Canadians will be asking newly arrived Mexicans why they chose to move to Canada when so many Canucks are trying to move to Mexico!

[M@tt]

this was my favorite statistic:
"the top 20% of income earners account for 55% of income."

[Phil_K]

Coming from a right-wing Conservative, it may be strange to hear me say that Mexico will never acheive a G8 type of economy with an imbalance like that.

[MO39]

[john_n_carolina]

....within 10-15 years, this could be somewhat true as compared to E.European countries (Romania, Slovakia, etc) and maybe Northern Northern Canada.

as far as W.Europeans countries GDP and export value, i doubt it. but, Mexico does have oil, and that could be a huge export value someday if the price of gas does reach W.European standards or the price of a barrel gets up past $200.

[dixie]

[Guy Courchesne]

[MELEE]

[Guy Courchesne]

[FreddyM]

[Guy Courchesne]

[MO39]

[quote="Guy Courchesne"]

[guatetaliana]

To add to MO39's point, the fact that Mexico sees so much of its wealth coming from its own nationals working in the US is not a very solid predictor of future economic growth. That source of income is already declining as the US steps up deportations and general policy in the US has turned anti-illegal immigrant. Now with the real ID act enabled in nearly every state, most illegal aliens are no longer able to have driver's licenses, meaning that a lot of formerly lucrative jobs have become impossible. The downturn in the housing market has hit construction workers and anyone involved in trades, building, landscaping, etc. As it becomes more expensive for immigrants in the US to provide for their families on the northern side of the border (gas, groceries, mortgage payments), they are sending less to their families in Mexico.

My point is not that Mexico shouldn't be taking advantage of this unstable source of income (although the fact that this income is necessary at all really points to a dramatic deficit in Mexico's internal economy!). But as MO39 pointed out, depending on having your own citizens working illegally overseas is never a strong way to build your own national economy. I simply don't see how Mexico can rise to a European-level wealth when this is the present reality.

[thelmadatter]

for my un-PC 2 cents.

Like Guy, I am optimistics about Mexico's long-term prospects. In the five years I have been here, I have seen some hopeful signs... more talk and some effort into combating corruption here and yes, Felipe's election. AMLO represented the old way of doing things here... lots of blustering and promises.. but a cacique's mentality. While results are mixed, at least Felipe tries to base his credibility on deeds.. not rileing (sp?) up the masses. AMLO is pretty much a laughing stock and at least a good portion of his party realized that they cant do business like that anymore.

In many countries, results like those in 2006 would have resulted in violence, perhaps civil war. That it didnt here is a very hopeful sign in the long run.

However, one historical reality I dont see changing anytime soon and probably Mexico's biggest stumbling block... this idea that everything revolves around Mexico City and the rest of the country is for the city to exploit and discard, as it sees fit. Living in DF, and looking around, it is kind of easy to see Mexico as a potential economic power... but all you have to do is go outside of it to quite a few areas of the country and its like walking 100 years or more into the past.

Now for the un-PC part. Much of Mexico's progress does come from the fact that it is next to the US. They compare themselves to the US all the time. That gives them an inferiority complex but I think that without it, they would be more like Central America and South America.. for whom the US is just a distant speck on the horizon. Mexico has to compete (and cooperate) with the US economically, for better or worse. And it does poorly when it tries to ignore or counter that reality. Monterrey does well (and much of the north for that matter) because it has accepted that reality better than the rest of the country. Mexico City does well for the same reason it did well under the Aztecs... tribute (just collected in a different manner) If you dont believe it, just talk to businesses in Monterrey who spend a lot of effort trying to keep the chilangos' paws off the money they earned.

The south of this country fares the worst. More removed from international contact, and hell bent on keeping everything the was it was 100-1000 years ago. Problem is you cant have the benefits of a modern society and insist that you dont have to accept a modern economic or political system.

This is why you had the PAN - PRD split so strong North-South.

Real change is happening in Mexico... resulting in increased pressure for more change.. mostly from outside of Mexico. Could you imagine what would happen here if/when the US really decides to send back a lot of those illegal immigrants, who have had a taste of a first-world economy? (probably why the powers-that-be dont want Mexicans in the States to vote and why the US should work to make that a reality)

[M@tt]

my post wasn't serious, since i don't take that statistic seriously.
does anyone really believe that half the wealth is spread among 20% of the people in mexico? that would be really impressive if it were true. but i'm not convinced.
melee why doesn't your husband get a free ph.d. in the US like everyone else? nobody pays for a ph.d. unless they're unemployable.