Overview
- The UNR study of INDEC household data published October 11 finds that 45% of urban workers were informal in Q2 2026, up from 41.4% at the end of 2023.
- Self-employment rose from 22.6% to 25.5% of jobs between late 2023 and Q2 2026 while the share of salaried workers fell from 73.7% to 70.5%, concentrating informality among independent workers.
- Sixty-five point eight percent of urban self-employed workers operate without formal registration, and several northern and Cuyo agglomerations report informal rates above 80% for cuentapropistas.
- Informality varies sharply by sector with domestic service at 77.4%, construction 76.2%, hospitality and accommodation 63.9%, and commerce 54.7%, while professional and technical services record much lower rates.
- Researchers say the patterns reflect local productivity, firm size and the makeup of regional economies and warn that reversing the trend will need higher investment, stronger formal job growth and targeted policy to restore pension contributions.