Human Capital Efficiency in Manufacturing: A Data Envelopment Analysis Across Economic Activity Branches and Firm Sizes in Mexico

Aldebarán Rosales-Córdova and Rafael Bernardo Carmona-Benítez ()
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Aldebarán Rosales-Córdova: Facultad de Economía y Negocios, Universidad Anáhuac México, Huixquilucan C.P. 52107, Mexico
Rafael Bernardo Carmona-Benítez: Facultad de Economía y Negocios, Universidad Anáhuac México, Huixquilucan C.P. 52107, Mexico

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-22

Abstract: In a competitive global economy, the efficient use of human capital is a key determinant of productivity, growth, and sustainable development. This study assesses the efficiency of human capital in the Mexican manufacturing sector, with a focus on three strategic subsectors: the chemical industry, the food industry, and the transport equipment industry. The purpose is to analyze how human capital—measured through training, average wages, and daily working hours—relates to firm performance across different branches of economic activity and company sizes. Firm-level data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) for the period 2009–2021 are analyzed using an input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with CCR and BCC models. The results reveal significant differences in human capital efficiency across branches of economic activity within each—micro, small, and medium and large—firm size. Overall, the results highlight the central role of human capital investment in enhancing firm competitiveness and advancing the sustainable development of strategic industries. Policy implications underscore the need for training and wage strategies that improve efficiency and strengthen the long-term resilience of the Mexican manufacturing sector.

Keywords: human capital; training; manufacturing industry; productivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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