Buenos Aires – Argentina’s unemployment rate edged higher at the close of 2025, reaching 7.5% in the fourth quarter, according to data released Wednesday by the country’s national statistics agency, INDEC. The figure represents an increase from both the 6.4% recorded in the same period of 2024 and the 6.6% reported in the previous quarter, signaling a cooling in the labor market as the year concluded. Understanding Argentina unemployment statistics is crucial given the country’s ongoing economic challenges.
The official report indicated that the 1.1 percentage point year-on-year rise in unemployment was statistically significant, as was the 0.9 point increase from the third quarter of 2025. INDEC defines unemployed individuals as those without a job who are actively seeking employment and available to work. Based on the agency’s survey, approximately 1.1 million Argentines were unemployed during this period. Projecting this figure onto the nation’s estimated population of 47.5 million, the total number of unemployed individuals reaches roughly 1.7 million.
Regional disparities in unemployment rates were notable. Greater Buenos Aires recorded the highest rate at 8.6%, followed closely by the Pampas region at 7.7%. The Northeast region experienced an unemployment rate of 5.6%, while Cuyo, Patagonia, and the Northwest reported rates of 4.9%, 4.8%, and 4.2% respectively. A significant gap too emerged between larger and smaller urban centers; unemployment reached 8.0% in cities with populations of 500,000 or more, compared to 4.7% in smaller urban areas.
A Glance at Employment Numbers
INDEC’s data also revealed the extent of employment across Argentina’s main urban centers at the finish of 2025. Approximately 13.5 million people were employed, with 9.7 million working as wage earners and 3.8 million categorized as non-wage workers. Within the non-wage earner group, the vast majority – 86.9% – were self-employed, while 11.7% were employers and a smaller fraction, 1.4%, were unpaid family workers.
Precarious Employment and Informal Work
The report highlighted a concerning trend of precarious and weakly protected employment within the Argentine labor market. Only 56.9% of employed workers held formal jobs, leaving a substantial 43.0% in the informal sector. Among wage earners, 63.7% were actively contributing to pension schemes, while 36.3% were not. A significant portion of the workforce faced challenging working conditions: 29.2% of employed individuals were classified as overemployed, working more than 45 hours per week, and 12.3% were underemployed, working fewer than 35 hours.
Labor Market Dynamics and Future Outlook
The latest figures paint a picture of an Argentine labor market characterized by relatively stable participation levels but weakening job creation. While the activity rate remained largely unchanged, the increase in unemployment and the continued prevalence of informal work and self-employment suggest underlying vulnerabilities. The composition of employment continues to show a heavy weight of informal work and self-employment, raising concerns about worker protections and long-term economic security. The National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC) was established in 1968 and plays a vital role in tracking these trends.
Looking ahead, the next set of unemployment figures from INDEC, covering the first quarter of 2026, will be closely watched for indications of whether this upward trend will continue or if the labor market will begin to stabilize. These figures are expected to be released in June 2026. The ongoing economic policies and global economic conditions will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of employment in Argentina.
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