Open Unemployment in Argentina: Jumped to 7.5% from 6.4%.

[earlyretirement]

A significant step back for the Argentine labor market, with new INDEC data showing considerable strain in the Q4 of 2025. 🇦🇷📉

While open unemployment is up, the broader pressures on the workforce are the real red flag.

📊 Key data from Q4 2025 vs. Q4 2024 (across 31 urban areas):

• Open Unemployment: Jumped to 7.5% from 6.4%. This is a statistically significant increase and translates to nearly 1.7 million people nationwide affected.
• The Squeeze: Crucially, 16.5% of the employed workforce is actively seeking new jobs (Ocupados demandantes). This is a massive number and a direct indicator of severely squeezed purchasing power. People are employed but their wages aren't sufficient.
• Persistent Issues: Underemployment (Subocupación) remains stubbornly flat at 11.3%. The quality of available jobs isn't improving.
• Stagnant Activity: The overall labor participation rate (Actividad) is flat to slightly declining, suggesting a lack of new job creation in the current environment.

🏠 Broad Macroeconomic Impact:

This is more than just statistics. It indicates a stressed domestic consumer base. A labor market with rising unemployment and high demand from underpaid workers will almost certainly lead to:

• 📉 Downward pressure on domestic retail and local consumer spending.
• 🔄 A widening disparity between the domestic-focused economy and foreign capital or export-driven sectors.

 

[import export]

And that is directly from INDEC. I know many people that lost their jobs. Some can't find another. Some are doing Rappi or Uber but they aren't making anything compared to what they were making before. Many are underemployed.