In conversation with Channel EResearcher at the International Institute for Educational Planning (UBA), Roxana Maurizio He explained the latest data on formal employment and the prospects for the Argentine labor market for 2026.
For interviewees, the monthly report prepared by the International Institute for Educational Planning is based on official information from the Ministry of Labour, allowing detailed monitoring of employment and salary development. “In August, there was a decline in both the public and private sectors, which continues the downward trend“, he pointed out.
according to MaurizioAlthough it was surprising that private sector employment declined more than public sector employment, this is explained by the relative weight of each sector. “It is reasonable that the private sector will decline further because the number of jobs in it is greater than the public sectorHowever, he stressed that the dynamics are not identical: employment in the public sector has declined almost systematically since the end of 2023, while employment in the private sector saw a “very strong decline” in the first half of 2024, showed some recovery and then fell again in August.
It is a trend that cannot be reversed
Maurizio He was powerful when describing the final panorama: “The latest data indicates a continued decline or certain stagnation; We do not notice that there is a change in the signal“From November 2023 to August 2024, approximately 140,000 formal private sector jobs were lost, a figure that represents the continuing deterioration in the labor market.
These data open the debate on the labor reform planned for 2026, some guidelines of which are already known. Among them is the possibility of employing workers under a unilateral levy or easing penalties on employers in the informal sector. Maurizio Show doubt:Informal activity has increased even with these tools“, recalling Argentine historical experiences – such as the 1990s – and practices from other countries.
For the researcher, the key is not only regulatory reforms but a favorable economic environment. “There must be investment, growth and clear rules so that employers can bet on production and technological innovation“, Detained.
Senior Commentator: Training employees
One of the points that stood out the most Maurizio The educational issue had little presence in the labor debate. “There is little discussion about the current and future qualifications that workers should have.“, he stated. He presented an alarming fact: 30% of workers between the ages of 30 and 50 have not completed high school, and are unlikely to return to formal studies.
He warned that these gaps will affect the population, which will remain for another 20 to 30 years in a labor market that requires new skills, especially those associated with digitization and artificial intelligence. For her, the challenge is urgent and strategic: “It is clear that we are facing a very important challenge for the Argentine labor market.“.