A report from CEPA reveals that between November 2023 and April 2026, the province of Salta lost 11,946 registered jobs and 413 companies, with construction and public administration being the hardest hit sectors.
The province of Salta is experiencing an unprecedented labour crisis in recent years. According to a report from the Centre for Argentine Political Economy (CEPA), compiled using official data from the Superintendence of Labour Risks (SRT), 11,946 formal jobs and 413 employers were lost in the region between November 2023 and April 2026.
The study covers the first 29 months of President Javier Milei's administration and highlights a widespread decline in both the number of salaried workers and the local business framework that maintains registered personnel. In percentage terms, the number of employers in Salta decreased by 4.6%, from 9,041 to 8,628 active firms.
The decline in formal employment did not affect all sectors equally. Construction topped the negative ranking with 4,671 fewer jobs, followed by public administration, defence, and social security, which lost 2,572 positions. Agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing contracted by 1,940 workers, while transport and storage (-1,490), commerce (-1,064), and gastronomy (-944) also suffered significant impacts.
In terms of company losses, wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair led the list with 267 fewer employers. This was followed by accommodation and gastronomy services (70 establishments closed) and transport (54 losses). In percentage terms, the most drastic decline occurred in artistic, cultural, and sports services, which shrank by 25%.
The CEPA report also analyses the profile of the firms that ceased operations in the formal system. Of the 413 employers that dropped out of the registry, 409 were establishments with up to 500 employees, representing 99% of the total fallen companies. This reflects the strain that SMEs and small businesses are experiencing in the province.
However, when measuring the net number of workers laid off, the impact is distributed differently: larger companies accounted for 59.3% of the lost positions (7,086 workers), while firms with up to 500 employees explained the remaining 40.7% (4,860 jobs).
The report concludes that the decline in key indicators of formal employment in Salta is only deepening, hitting hard at the strategic sectors that drive the regional economy. The crisis leaves thousands of families in an uncertain situation amid a recessionary scenario that shows no signs of easing.
For workers and entrepreneurs in Salta, this data serves as a wake-up call regarding the need to reactivate the local economy. Construction, which has historically been an employment engine in the province, has been particularly hard hit by the slowdown in public works. Public administration has also suffered cuts that have impacted formal employment.
In light of this situation, short-term prospects are not encouraging. Productive sectors and small businesses are facing a context of declining demand and lack of investment that hampers recovery. Provincial and national authorities will need to assess measures to reverse this trend and promote the creation of registered employment in the region.
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