The number of informal employees, who are paid in cash and lack any benefits, has reached a historic record in Baja California.

The National Institute of Statistics and Geography released the results of its latest employment survey for the last quarter of 2021 that indicates the state is home to 713,381 informal employees, Tribuna Económica news website reported.

The figure is close to the 957,398 employees reported in the formal economy by the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

According to the news website those financially impacted by the pandemic had decided to join the so-called informal economy.

Informal employees increased by 85,575 in 2021 compared to the previous year.

The news website said the unemployment rate decreased to 2 percent in 2021.