A global semiconductor shortage is hitting Mexico's auto workers hard as employers slash output, reduce shift work and cut jobs due to supply-chain breakdowns.

The pain is acute in the central Mexican state of Aguascalientes and its namesake capital, one of the country's top automotive centers, where the chip crunch has forced rolling shutdowns at employers large and small.

The temporary closures have translated into lost wages for tens of thousands of workers here and across Mexico due to furloughs and layoffs, according to interviews with laborers, union leaders and industry executives.