In the first quarter of the year, the unemployment rate reached 7.9%its highest level for this period since 2021, according to INDEC data. While, the Economic activity slightly exceeded the levels prior to the contraction initiated in August 2023, but the Private registered employment continues.
In that context, more and more workers are forced to seek complementary income, within the framework of the strong fall of purchasing power. The multi -employment went from representing 8% in 2013 to 12% in 2024according to a report of the Training and Work and Development Studies Program (CETYD) of the National University of San Martín (UNSAM).
This phenomenon occurs in parallel to a strong decline in labor income, which are currently almost a 25% below the 2017 leveltaking the registered salary index, despite the partial recovery after the devaluation of late 2023.
Platforms as fast, but unstable output
The expansion of work on platforms is visible in three key sectors: the trade He added more than 160 thousand independent workerspossibly linked to online sales, social networks and electronic commerce. In turn, Hotels and restaurants both independent workers and informal employees grew, adding about 90 thousand and 110 thousand new busyrespectively. The increase of workers in the sector of transport It is also partly explained by the growth of mobility and delivery applications.
However, the CETYD It clarifies that not all that growth corresponds to platforms, but also to activities such as sales in fairs, gastronomic microenterprises and informal trade.
The other face of platform jobs: precariousness
Sector companies confirmed the expansion of their business models. One of them was Rappi, announced this year An investment of US $ 40 million in Argentina; while Ordersya registered a 43% growth in sales for 2024 and Free market He added new sellers to his platform.
However, experts warn that work in applications It is not enough to absorb all labor demand And, in addition, consolidate Unstable and unstopped conditions.
With the recent one Base lawhiring under monotax is encouraged and the figure of independent collaborator, which could intensify outsourcing and flexibility in these sectors.
“If there is a phenomenon of labor refuge in the platform economy -as statistics seem to make visible -it has very clear limits: it does not reach or could contain all the search for occupation and additional income; it damping only temporarily the increase in unemployment; and, finally, consolidated and deepens the precariousness of the labor market,” concludes the report of the report of the report of the report of CETYD.
Source: Ambito
