Mexico has a large, proactive, and highly educated labor force, and around 58 million people are economically active, constituting approximately 45% of the country’s population. The high levels of education in specialized fields and the power of its manufacturing sector, have steered the US towards the Mexican labor force for both nearshoring and the recruitment of workers, facilitated by different visas and agreements.
The prospect of working for a U.S. company is exciting for many Mexican workers, as it implies greater career opportunities and higher salaries. Luckily, the nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows qualified citizens of Canada and Mexico, as NAFTA professionals, to work in the United States in over sixty prearranged professional roles. However, even with the demand, getting hired isn't always that easy. So, what are American companies looking for?
Medical Staff
During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was evident that the country experienced a shortage of medical staff and frontline healthcare workers, especially nurses and nursing assistants. Some surveys indicate that almost half of all healthcare workers are thinking of leaving their jobs due to intense burnout and lack of resources.
Despite all of this, employment in the healthcare industry is expected to grow by 16% in the next ten years, much faster than the average for other occupations. Across the US, there is a strong demand for registered nurses, nursing assistants, doctors, home health aides, etc. and hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics are looking for skilled and reliable people who can join the burgeoning sector.
IT Engineers
In the last years, analysts have been in high demand, but demand has increased significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Companies needed more tech workers to build new platforms, apps, and software to adapt to a new digital era. People with experience in computer systems, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data security have a high possibility of being hired by an American company. With e-commerce on the rise, the spike in NFTs, tokens, and new apps, and the importance of a digital presence for companies, no matter the industry, the computer systems analyst position is one of the most in-demand jobs in the U.S.
Manufacturing Engineers
Given the recent supply chain issues, labor shortages and demand spikes in the post-pandemic economy, many manufacturing jobs such as machine operators, design engineers, and production technicians are highly in demand.
Mexico ranks 8th globally in total engineering graduates per annum, which makes it a diverse and attractive talent pool for the US. With remote and hybrid work becoming more common, and the mentioned positions still in-demand after the pandemic, there are many opportunities for Mexican professionals to be hired by an American company.
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