More than four in 10 Sonorans work in informal positions, according to the most recent federal data, which covers the last quarter of 2021. That’s nearly 580,000 people.

“This leaves them in a defenseless situation,” said Sonoran data analyst Luis Armando Moreno, adding that all such workers get are the day’s wages and none of the other benefits that formal work provides, like access to retirement and health care.

While a substantial portion of the Sonoran workforce, the national figure is nearly 56%, and even higher in states like Oaxaca, where more than 80% of workers have informal positions.