Overview
- The Universidad Nacional de Rosario’s analysis of INDEC household data shows national informality at 45% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 41.4% at the end of 2023 and driven by more workers operating outside formal registration.
- Self-employment rose from 22.6% to 25.5% of all jobs and 65.8% of urban self-employed work informally, shifting employment away from salaried positions that traditionally carry social protections.
- Sectoral hotspots for non-registration include domestic work (77.4%), construction (76.2%), hospitality and lodging (63.9%) and commerce (54.7%), while professional and technical services show much lower informality (19.2%).
- Geographic gaps are stark: many northern and Cuyo cities report more than 80% informality among the self-employed, the Greater Buenos Aires suburbs show about 47.5% total informality, and Patagonia and the City of Buenos Aires register far lower rates.
- A lasting consequence is weakened social protection—37.9% of salaried workers lack pension contributions—which threatens future retirements, worsens income instability for households, and could increase pressure on public assistance and regional inequality.