A report from the Universidad Católica Argentina reveals that 45% of workers hold precarious positions, while self-employment grows as a refuge due to the lack of formal opportunities.
The Observatorio de la Deuda Social Argentina of the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) has highlighted that the unemployment rate is no longer sufficient to measure the health of the labour market. According to a report released this week, the main issue is not the lack of jobs, but their increasing precariousness: 45% of workers were in precarious positions in 2025, compared to 42.6% in 2010.
Precarious employment grows and informality consolidates
The study, titled “Deterioration and fragmentation of the social structure of work in Argentina (2010-2025)”, indicates that 48.3% of the employed work in the micro-informal sector, up from 45.9% in 2023. In the micro-informal sector, precariousness affects 66.5%, and among informal wage earners, it reaches 81.1%.
Researchers Ramiro Robles, Alejo Giannecchini, and Valentina Ledda summarise:
“The problem is not only low economic growth but the difficulty in transforming that growth into productive and protected employment.”
Self-employment: entrepreneurship or refuge?
One of the most striking data points is the growth of independent work. Self-employed individuals and non-salaried workers now account for 31.7% of urban employment. For UCA, this phenomenon does not reflect an entrepreneurial boom but acts as a “refuge employment” due to the lack of formal opportunities.
The report shows that among the unemployed, the likelihood of transitioning to informal self-employment increased from 24.1% to 29.5%. There was also a rise in the movement from formal jobs to informal independent activities, which increased from 4.8% to 6.2%.
Mining provinces improve, but not enough
The study is not homogeneous across the country. Provinces linked to mining and energy, such as Neuquén and Río Negro, have managed to improve their levels of formal employment since 2023. However, this growth has not been sufficient to offset the national decline in quality employment.
Between 2023 and 2025, growth was led by primary activities (39.6%), finance (35.1%), and mining (24.6%), sectors that generate less direct employment than traditional branches such as industry, commerce, or transport.
For researchers, a potential labour reform may change some conditions, but it will not resolve the underlying problem. The key lies in increasing productivity and ensuring that dynamic sectors generate registered, stable jobs with better incomes.
Ultimately, Argentina can maintain low unemployment, but with an increasingly fragmented labour market. For the reader, the practical conclusion is clear: the quality of employment has deteriorated, and precariousness affects nearly half of workers. The next labour indicators survey will confirm whether the trend worsens or if there are signs of improvement.
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