First Steps into Employment in Argentina: Helping Build a Better Future of Work

"This is my first job. The experience is preparing me for real life and helping me organize my time and my money," says Martina Sansone. At 20 years old, Martina accessed a job opportunity through a municipal employment office in the province of Buenos Aires, where she lives.

In Argentina, entering the workforce is a major challenge for young people. Among those aged 15 to 24, unemployment exceeds 20% (2024), while the informality rate reaches nearly 60% for young people up to age 29.

Thanks to the implementation of the Fomentar Empleo project by the Secretaría de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social (STESS), youth, women, and older adults who are unemployed or working in informal jobs now have the chance to train for access to high-quality employment.

The project supports various initiatives to strengthen job placement or re-entry skills, depending on the case. In this regard, municipal employment offices are strategic allies in training and guiding both applicants and companies. Available courses include certifications in basic socio-labor skills and self-employment training, in addition to technical vocational training.

Through Portal Empleo, a free public platform, employers are connected with job seekers. In just three years, 2 million people have registered their professional profiles and accessed training courses. Additionally, more than 8,500 companies have participated by posting their job vacancies on the platform.

Thanks to this tool, Marcos Rodríguez, a 20-year-old, began working as an intern at a specialty coffee shop. "I worked part-time for four months until I joined the permanent team," says Rodríguez. "Having a steady job allows me to organize my schedule and attend university online," he said. Rodríguez is in his second year of a degree in Video Game Production.

The project also created the Argentine Occupation Observatory (OOA), which allows for the analysis and monitoring of the labor market at the occupational level. This data informs the design of interventions to ensure they are targeted toward the actual needs of employers.

By investing in people and coordinating with the private sector, this program is an example of how the future of work is beginning to be transformed for thousands of people in Argentina.