MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unemployment in Argentina jumps to 10.1% in the first quarter of 2019

This means 1.920.000 urban Argentines are without a job, 220.000 more than a year ago, and if rural workers are included the final figure could be two million

Argentina's unemployment rate rose to 10.1% in the first quarter from 9.1% in the first three months of last year, the official INDEC statistics agency said. This is the highest level since current president Mauricio Macri took office, and the worst in thirteen years.

This means there are 1.920.000 urban Argentines without a job, 220.000 more than a year ago, and if rural workers are included the final figure could climb to two million. Likewise underemployment reached 11.8% a two percentage points increase over the same period a year ago, 9.8%. In other words some 2.250.000 people are working a few hours a day despite their intention of a full time job.

The districts worst hit by lack of jobs are Ushuaia, 13% unemployment; Rawson-Trelew, 12.3%, followed by certain districts of the Buenos Aires province, 12.3% and Gran Rosario, with 11.7%. At the other end are Resistencia, Chaco, 1.2% followed by San Luis and Comodoro Rivadavia, 2%.

In reference to the jobs situation in Argentina, a report from the University of San Martin showed that current and future employment perceptions in Argentina have collapsed. In effect a poll from the report indicated that 74% of those interviewed said that finding a job has become far more difficult than a year ago, while 18% believe there have not been much changes and 6%, opportunities have improved.

Likewise the so called “unemployment ghost” shows that 71% of those who participated in the report research, have friends or relatives that in the last three months have lost their jobs. Likewise 58% of those who have a job are fearful of losing that condition, the highest percentage since the end of 2016. And this is particularly emphatic for those workers less qualified or who haven't completed high school.