A local economist recently said Baja California has been losing talent as professionals are becoming part of an exodus to Central Mexico due to wage offers and job opportunities.

Economist Roberto Valero, who leads the Economic Studies Center of Baja California, said during a recent seminar held by a businesswoman group that although the state’s labor opportunities have been growing, wages have been stagnant at two minimum wages. That amount equals to $500 per month, La Voz newspaper reported.

Also, the specialist said job opportunities with double that amount or more have vanished.

This year, the state’s economy has seen the opening of up to 75,000 jobs, but these opportunities offer low wages, Valero said.

So, many professionals, especially engineers, had turned to the economy’s informal sector or have moved out to states like Guanajuato, Aguascalientes and Querétaro — an area historically known as El Bajío in Spanish.

“We must work on the evolution of salaries through tax incentives,” Valero said. “Government must provide tax incentives not only to increase the minimum wage, but to increase all salaries.”

In order to recover Baja California’s economy the state must work to have a population with a strong purchasing power through tax incentives that promote competitiveness.