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This paper explores the feasibility of unemployment insurance in Nuevo León, Mexico. It starts by exploring the policy context, in which we pay special attention to societal challenges such as robotization that can revitalize the debate on a social policy that was historically absent from the Mexican welfare state. The paper proposes a model of unemployment insurance adapted to this context, drawing on insights from a literature study, a public opinion survey and a cost calculation. The innovative feature of this model is adaptability, where key variables change along with the situation on the labor market. ABSTRACT Este artículo explora la factibilidad del seguro de desempleo en Nuevo León, México. Comienza explorando el contexto político, en el que prestamos especial atención a desafíos sociales como la robotización que puede revitalizar el debate sobre una política social históricamente ausente del estado de bienestar mexicano. El documento propone un modelo de seguro de desempleo adaptado a este contexto, basándose en conocimientos de un estudio de literatura, una encuesta de opinión pública y un cálculo de costos. La característica innovadora de este modelo es la adaptabilidad, donde las variables clave cambian junto con la situación en el mercado laboral.

This paper discusses the relatively unexplored risk of societal disruption following from the replacement of human labor by the use of robots and artificial intelligence in Mexico. It sketches the broader context and background of the so called ‘fourth industrial revolution’ and reviews available data on the impact of automatization on work. While most such studies have centered on Europe and the United States, this paper argues that this issue should be of serious concern to researchers and policy makers in Mexico. The paper proposes a framework for discussing the possible policy responses to this threat, classifying these responses into preventive, mediating and compensating policies. After offering a brief discussion of ten such responses, the paper concludes by arguing that if this emerging societal challenge is to be taken serious, a combination of both preventive, mediating and compensating policies must be investigated, rather than searching for one particular ‘fix’.