Informal employment in Argentina rose to 44.2% during the first quarter of 2026, reaching its highest level since official records began in 2023. File Photo by David Fernández/EPA
June 26 (UPI) -- Informal employment in Argentina rose to 44.2% during the first quarter of 2026, reaching its highest level since official records began in 2023, according to data released by the country's National Institute of Statistics and Census.
The figure increased 2.2 percentage points from the same period in 2025, when the informal employment rate stood at 42%, confirming a steady rise in jobs outside the formal economy that now affect nearly half of the country's workforce.
The government estimates that about 5.9 million people work in the informal sector across Argentina's largest urban areas. These workers are employed without being registered in the country's social security system.
That means they generally do not receive pension contributions, employer-sponsored health coverage or full legal protections against dismissal and other labor rights.
