Registered private-sector wage employment in Argentina fell to 6.082 million people in July 2026, 0.2% below June and 2.2% below a year earlier: 134,500 fewer workers, according to the Integrated Social Security System ([SIPA](https://www.argentina.gob.ar/sites/default/files/trabajoregistrado_2607_informe.pdf)) report published by the Labor Secretariat. It is the latest official data and confirms a trend: according to the report, "since September 2023, formal private-sector wage employment has shown a downward trend".
On Monday, October 26, the Interdisciplinary Institute of Political Economy (IIEP) of the University of Buenos Aires and Conicet added its reading: July was the fourteenth straight month of decline in formal private employment and about 266,000 jobs have been lost since November 2023, according to a summary by Examedia. These are the numbers.
Registered employment in Argentina, in figures
| Category | July 2026 | Annual change | Monthly change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total registered workers | 12.7 million | −1.1% | −0.1% |
| Registered wage earners (private, public and domestic) | 9.909 million | −1.5% (−155,300) | −0.1% |
| Private-sector wage earners | 6.082 million | −2.2% (−134,500) | −0.2% |
| Public sector | 3.385 million | −0.7% (−22,800) | +0.1% |
| Domestic workers | 442,000 | +0.5% (+2,000) | −0.2% |
| Monotributo (simplified-regime self-employed) | 2.215 million | +2.7% (+58,800) | +0.1% |
| Social monotributo | 220,700 | −11.3% (−28,200) | −2.9% |
| Self-employed (autónomos) | 381,300 | −3.0% (−11,700) | −0.3% |
Source: Labor, Employment and Social Security Secretariat, "Situation and evolution of registered work", July 2026 data. Monthly changes are seasonally adjusted. The report's text gives 12.757 million registered workers and its annex table 12.726 million, so we round to 12.7 million.
Which sectors lost formal private employment
| Sector | Annual change | July change |
|---|---|---|
| Financial intermediation | −4.8% | −0.4% |
| Manufacturing | −4.4% | −0.3% |
| Retail and repairs | −3.4% | −0.3% |
| Transport, storage and communications | −2.4% | −0.3% |
| Construction | — | −0.6% (largest drop of the month) |
| Fishing | +5.8% | +0.1% |
| Mining and quarrying | — | +0.4% |
| Agriculture and livestock | +0.4% | — |
Source: SIPA report. Dashes are figures the report text does not highlight. In July, eight of fourteen branches fell, three rose and three were stable. According to the IIEP, manufacturing has lost almost 95,000 jobs since September 2023 (Examedia).
Provinces with the most and least formal private employment
| Province | Annual change | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Neuquén | +6.4% | Largest increase, driven by Vaca Muerta |
| Río Negro | +4.8% | Second-largest increase |
| San Juan | +0.5% | Only other province that grew |
| Tierra del Fuego | −12.6% | Largest drop in the country |
| Misiones | −6.0% | |
| Corrientes | −5.6% | |
| Formosa | −5.2% | |
| Santa Cruz | −4.9% | Also the largest monthly drop (−0.9%) |
Source: SIPA report. Twenty-one of the 24 jurisdictions posted annual declines. The Vaca Muerta reading is ours: the report does not explain causes by province.
Why analysts speak of 14 months of decline
The official SIPA describes a "new contractionary phase" since June 2025, with average drops of 0.2% a month in the second half of 2025 and 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026, and refers to "a continuation of the process of destruction of private wage employment" in the second quarter and July. The 14-straight-months count comes from the IIEP. Outlets that cited its report do not fully agree on the figures (12,700 or 13,000 jobs lost in July) or on which year employment has returned to (May 2014 or April 2022), as Examedia notes.
The backdrop is weak activity: Indec reported the economy fell 1.7% in August (see our EMAE story).
What happened to wages
| Indicator | July 2026 | Annual nominal change |
|---|---|---|
| Average gross pay | 2,256,861 pesos | +29.3% |
| Median gross pay | 1,689,227 pesos | +28.2% |
Source: SIPA report. These are nominal figures: to know whether purchasing power rose, inflation must be deducted. According to the IIEP, average pay fell 0.4% in real terms in July and the minimum wage has lost 40.8% of its purchasing power since November 2023 (Examedia). Monthly minimum-wage details are in Argentina's minimum wage.
How registered employment is measured
SIPA counts people for whom social security contributions are paid, based on ARCA (formerly AFIP) records. It therefore only measures formal work: it does not capture undeclared workers, who are measured by Indec's Permanent Household Survey. Private wage employment falling while the monotributo rises may indicate that some workers moved from an employment contract to invoicing as self-employed, although the official report does not make that reading. The Labor Indicators Survey of medium and large firms showed no significant changes in July and August, according to Examedia's summary.
Frequently asked questions
How many registered private workers are there in Argentina?
6.082 million in July 2026, according to SIPA.
How many formal private jobs were lost in the last year?
134,500 between July 2025 and July 2026, a 2.2% drop.
Did public employment also fall?
Yes: 0.7% in a year, about 22,800 fewer workers, although it rose 0.1% in July versus June.
Which self-employment grew?
The monotributo, with 58,800 more contributors in a year (+2.7%). Social monotributo and autónomos fell.
When is the next release?
The Labor Secretariat publishes SIPA with a lag of about three months; August's data should come out in November.
