Argentina’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 7.5% in Late 2025

Buenos Aires – Argentina’s unemployment rate reached 7.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking an increase from 6.4% in the same period of 2024 and 6.6% in the preceding quarter, according to data released by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) on Wednesday.

Regional Disparities

The report highlighted significant regional variations in unemployment rates. Greater Buenos Aires recorded the highest rate at 8.6%, followed 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.

Urban vs. Rural Employment

A notable gap was observed between larger and smaller urban areas. Cities with populations of 500,000 or more residents saw an unemployment rate of 8.0%, compared to 4.7% in urban centers with fewer inhabitants.

Employment Breakdown

INDEC estimates that 13.5 million people were employed in Argentina’s main urban centers at the end of 2025. This figure comprises 9.7 million wage earners and 3.8 million non-wage workers. Within the non-wage worker category, 86.9% were self-employed, 11.7% were employers, and 1.4% were unpaid family workers.

Precarious Employment and Working Conditions

The report too indicated a substantial proportion of precarious or informally protected employment. Only 56.9% of employed workers held formal jobs, while 43.0% were employed informally. Among wage earners, 63.7% made pension contributions, while 36.3% did not. 29.2% of employed individuals were overemployed, working more than 45 hours per week, and 12.3% were underemployed, working fewer than 35 hours.

Labor Market Trends

The data suggests a labor market characterized by relatively stable participation levels but weakened job absorption capacity. While the activity rate remained largely unchanged, the increase in unemployment and the continued prevalence of informal work and self-employment point to ongoing challenges in the Argentine labor market.