The State of Unemployment and Economic Growth in San Luis Potosí
so here's the deal with san luis potosí-it's not the first place people think of when they imagine mexico, but that's exactly why it's interesting. the city sits in the center of the country, kinda like the middle child of mexican states, and right now it's trying to figure out how to grow without losing its soul. unemployment here is hovering around 3.5%, which sounds decent until you realize most jobs are either in manufacturing (thanks, nissan plant) or informal street vending. the formal economy is stable but slow-moving, like a rusted-out bus that still gets you there eventually.
right now the weather is doing that thing where it's hot enough to make you sweat through your shirt by noon, but then cools down just enough at night to trick you into thinking you need a jacket. it's that classic high-plateau climate-dry, sunny, and occasionally cruel. and if you're ever bored, you're only a few hours from real gems like guanajuato or zacatecas, both of which are basically open-air museums with better street food.
i overheard a guy at a taco stand say, "aquí la gente trabaja duro, pero el sueldo no alcanza." ("here people work hard, but the pay doesn't stretch.") that stuck with me. it's not that there aren't jobs-it's that the jobs don't pay enough to keep up with inflation, especially with rent creeping up in the centro histórico. speaking of which, a decent one-bedroom in a safe-ish neighborhood will run you about $300-$400 usd a month, which sounds cheap until you realize the average monthly salary is around $500-$600.
*economic growth* here is a weird mix of old and new. there's a budding tech scene, some co-working spaces popping up, and a few startups trying to make it work. but the city still leans hard on its industrial backbone. the government keeps talking about diversifying, but the reality is that most young people either leave for bigger cities or hustle in the gig economy. i saw a post on the local reddit board (r/slp) where someone was asking if it's worth starting a small design studio here. the replies were split-half said "go for it, rent is cheap," the other half said "good luck finding clients who pay on time."
if you're thinking of moving here, here's some drunk advice from a guy i met at a bar in zona centro: "don't expect to get rich, but you also won't starve. just learn to love tacos and take the bus."
external links for the curious:
- TripAdvisor - Things to Do in San Luis Potosí
- Yelp - Restaurants in San Luis Potosí
- Reddit - r/slp
- Local News - El Sol de San Luis
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