The figures of labor market They still show great structural challenges in Argentina: as well as the Unemployment riseshe salary falls and the Labor informality rate affects about 9 million workerswhich is equivalent to 42% of the employed. This phenomenon directly impacts working conditions, as well as assets and access to basic rights such as social security.
About a total of 21.1 million busy people, 8.8 million work without being registered. Of them, 5.5 million are salaried without contributions and 3.3 million are independent workers not registered in monotax or autonomousaccording to the latest informality analysis report of Argye.
The probability of having an informal job varies according to the type of occupation: among employees, 36% is not registered. In the case of independent workers, the figure amounts to 57%. Within that universe, informality reaches 62% of the principals but lowers less than 20% among the patterns, that is, small businesses.
Agro, gastronomy, domestic service and construction: the sectors with more informality
Among the most informality items are the agriculture gastronomy, domestic service and constructionwhere the proportion exceeds 60%; While in activities such as oil, mining or finance is practically non -existent, below 15%.
Meanwhile, informality in the Public Sector It is one of the lowest with less than 10%, while in the Private sector is almost the 50%, with strong internal differences according to the branch of activity.
The provinces of Great North They concentrate the highest levels of salaried informality. In Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumánmore than half of the workers do not have contributions. On the contrary, the Patagonian provinces and the Buenos Aires City They record the lower levels of informality: in Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruzfor example, they have figures lower than the 20%.
The inequality between the different provinces is linked to economic development and productive structure of each one. Those of the north in addition to having a under GDP per capita, They have few companies per inhabitant and a high concentration in activities such as agriculture, while Patagonics They have a strong presence of large industries that formally use their suppliers.
Evolution of informality in recent decades
Steelized informality in Argentina is today higher than 40 years ago: in 1986 it was 27% and grew to almost 50% in 2003, although after economic recovery and strengthening work institutions, it fell to 32% in 2015. However, since that year an ascending curve began and currently around 36%.
The rebound in labor informality is mainly explained by the economic stagnation: Formal salaried employment almost did not grow since 2011, while informal employment and non -salaried works expand even in crisis contexts.
A fact that stands out in this dynamic is that for every 1% that GDP grows, formal employment in companies rises 0.7% (about 50,000 positions).
Between 2011 and 2024, Informality uploaded two pointswhile in several countries in the region it went down. Recent experience shows that economic growth is necessary to reduce informality, but not sufficient. The quality of that growth, the sectors that promote it and the strength of work institutions are decisive to guarantee formal and rights jobs.
Argentina below the regional average, but above Chile, Uruguay and Brazil
With a 36% salaried informality, Argentina is below the regional average (43%), although well above countries such as Uruguay (10%) and Chili (15%). Even Brazil, With lower per capita income, it shows a lower rate (24%).
This reveals that informality does not depend only on the level of development. Factors such as tax pressure on work, labor regulations and the quality of economic growth also affect. For example, Peru He increased his informality in the last decade despite the fact that his GDP per capita grew by 20%.
Source: Ambito
