EMPLOYMENT IN ARGENTINA

Employment prospects

The recent economic crisis meant many Argentineans lost their jobs. The economy is slowly recovering, but job openings for foreigners remain very limited.

Foreigners who speak Spanish and are willing to work for Argentinean wages or do an unpaid internship are more likely to find a job. Unemployment has been decreasing since the peak of the 2001 crisis. However, it remains high today at an estimated 12%+.

Argentina has since long attracted migrants from other countries in the region. Among others, Paraguayans, Bolivians and Peruvians are often found working in agriculture and domestic services. Argentineans often see migrants from the region as a threat to employment in Argentina.

Legally employers are obliged to register employees for taxation and social security purposes. In order to keep costs low, many employers employ people without legally registering them. The Argentinean government has started a campaign in 2005 to reduce the amount of unregistered workers. Fines are being given to both companies and individuals working illegally.

Voluntary Work & Language Teaching

Finding many types of employment in Argentina as a foreigner is not easy. If you want to get work experience in Argentina, your best bet might be voluntary work or language teaching.

Voluntary work is offered in a wide variety of fields, from medical internships to direct assistance for building schools and houses. If you want to do voluntary work there are two main ways to find a position: through an aid-organisation or a specialised agency. Lists of aid-organisations and NGO’s (Non Governmental Agencies) can often be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your home country. The specialised agencies often offer several services such as language courses, and frequently it is even the other way around, language school organisations offer voluntary work. However, finding voluntary work through agencies often means you will have to pay for it.

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