Exploring financial wellbeing and labor resilience in the brewing industry within the framework of the sustainable development goals

This study evaluates the perceptions, experiences, and actions related to financial health indicators among brewery workers in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, with the aim of understanding their level of financial resilience in the face of adverse situations. A total of 312 workers participated, selected through non-probabilistic self-selected census sampling, appropriate due to the homogeneity of the group and logistical constraints. Data collection was conducted using an electronic format administered via Google Forms. To assess the normality of the data, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests were applied, along with analyses of univariate skewness and kurtosis, following Kim's (Restor Dentist Endod 38:52–54, 2013) criteria. Pearson correlations were used to test hypotheses H1a through H8a. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out using principal component extraction and Varimax rotation, validated through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett’s test of sphericity. Subsequently, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM), evaluating model fit through χ2/df, CFI, TLI, RMSEA, and SRMR indices. The best-fitting model identified three key factors: Personal financial responsibility and planning, reflecting present and future financial stability; Corrective and adaptive financial actions, indicating the ability to respond to economic difficulties and Current financial condition, focused on day-to-day management of expenses and debts. While no significant overall gender differences were found, specific gaps emerged in variables such as short-term expense planning, income-spending control, long-term savings strategies, sustainable debt management, and credit history improvement, with women reporting a lower frequency of these actions compared to men. It is recommended that future research explore the influence of cultural, social, and emotional factors on financial resilience through longitudinal and gender-focused studies. Additionally, evaluating financial education programs and comparing similar industrial sectors could help identify both common and sector-specific patterns in financial health across the southeastern region of Mexico.