Expatriate Forums in Argentina

Argentina Info · Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 19 Home Country: argentina

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.

Depending on the language school or language teaching organisations, wages may be paid or you might get food and lodging in return for your work. The most common languages studied by Argentineans are English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese. Several language schools may interview you by telephone. Consider posting a message at the Language Forum to find out more about personal experiences in teaching languages in Argentina.

Job Hunting

There are several places to look for a job in Argentina. However, wages are low compared to Europe and the US. If you are willing to work for Argentinean wages you do have the chance to find a job in Argentina if you have useful skills. To get you started, here are some useful resources.

Multinationals and International Organizations: If working for an Argentinean wage is not what you are looking for, it is best you contact multinationals that have operations in Argentina. US, French and Spanish companies are particularly well represented in Argentina. You can also opt for working for an NGO as Argentina is host to several NGOs and aid agencies. If you are looking for new experiences, consider getting in contact with them to see if they have any opportunities. The department of Foreign Affairs of your home country might supply you with a list of NGO’s from your country.

Newspapers & Magazines: In newspapers like La Nación and El Clarín, jobs are posted in the classifieds sections. These classifieds are both published in the newspaper and available online. There are several expat newspapers in Argentina you can try, such as the Buenos Aires Herald. Jobs in Argentina are not only found in the Argentinean media. Looking at foreign newspapers like Le Monde and Le Figaro (France) and Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung (Germany) sometimes carry job openings for Argentina.

Internet: Several online recruitment agencies are active in Argentina, for example Bumeran. Online recruitment sites allow you to search the database and post your resume.

Speculative applications: Speculative applications by mail as and Internet are common practice in Argentina. Before applying, find out who to write to in the target company as this will increase you chances of being considered properly. This method can be successful especially when looking for student internships or when applying for a job as a teacher in a language school. Bear in mind though that most internships will not be paid.

Chambers of Commerce: National Chambers of Commerce in Argentina like the German and French Chambers, often provide lists with companies from the home country that are active in Argentina. With these lists you can start sending speculative applications. Some national chambers of commerce in Argentina also offer the possibility to register your CV with them.

Recruitment Offices: Private recruitment agencies are listed in the yellow pages. Some of them are specialised in recruitment for short-term employment. Many of the recruitment offices are internationally known companies such as Adecco, Manpower and Sesa Select (owned by Vedior). Depending on your profile, you will probably not want to rely on an agency and have a better chance when taking a more proactive approach by contacting companies directly.

Labour Offices (Bolsa de Trabajo & Oficinas de Empleo): Labour offices are meant as a meeting place for those looking for work and employers. Labour offices work on a not-for-profit basis. A database with companies and job openings is kept at the offices. In Argentina, Bolsas de trabajo for disabled people are also found. Labour offices in Argentina are owned by the Government.

Language Schools: Language schools sometimes offer the opportunity of voluntary work or internships for foreigners. The language school charges a fee for this intermediary service.

Working Conditions

Working Hours & Salaries
Salaries in Argentina took a downfall after the crisis. Recently wages are rising again. In September 2005 the minimum wage in Argentina was raised from AR$ 350 to AR$ 450/month. The average wage in Argentina in 2005 was AR$ 539/month. The amount of wage varies according to the level of education you have.

In 2004, average monthly wages were as follows:

* People with an academic degree AR$ 813
* High school diploma AR$ 539
* High school not completed AR$ 388
* Primary school completed AR$ 353
* Primary school not completed AR$ 279

Many people in Argentina work without having a contract, they earn on average AR$ 305/month. Average wage levels vary according to geographical location. In 2004, the averages for the city of Buenos Aires (AR$ 881.5) and the Ushuaia – Rio Grande (AR$ 852.5) where the highest in the country. Corrientes (AR$ 329.4) and Salta (AR$ 356.9) had the lowest averages in Argentina. In 2004 the annual gross salary for an engineer in Buenos Aires was US$ 10,500. The annual gross salary for an industrial skilled worker in Buenos Aires in 2003 was US$ 5,100.

The legal maximum working time is 8 hours/day and 48 hours/week. However, the regular working week cannot exceed 44 hours/week for daily work, 42 hours/week for night work or 36 hours/week where work is performed in hazardous or unhealthy environments. Work is normally not permitted on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, although the authorities do make exceptions depending on the occupation. Overtime rate is 50 percent extra, for work performed from Monday until 1 PM on Saturdays, and 100 percent extra for work performed thereafter and/or on public holidays.

Any worker aged over 18 had the right to earn the minimum wage. This is set by collective agreement, which varies depending on the occupation and industry. In addition to regular pay, an employee is entitled to a bonus ( aguinaldo) equalling one month’s pay per year. It is calculated on the basis of the annual average pay; half is paid in June and the other half in December.

Labour regulations
The LCT ( Ley de Contrato de Trabajo/Law on Contract Employment) is a law that regulates employment contracts, rights, employer/employee obligations and wage protection. However, According to the September 2005 data of the Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC), 4.8 million Argentineans are not formally registered by their employers.

Contracts of employment are generally signed for an unlimited time-period. Fixed-term contracts are allowed but have to be written and cannot exceed a period of 5 years. Contracts for work for an undetermined duration are also possible, as are contracts for internships.

When an employee terminates a contract the notice period is 15 days. When an employer terminates an employment contract, the length of notice depends on the employee’s length of service.

* 15 days when the employee has less than three months of service
* one month when the worker’s length of service is between three months and five years
* two months when the length of service is more than five years, except in small enterprises where the notice period is never more than one month.

Paid leave is granted to employees who have completed at least 6 months of service with the same employer over a period of 12 calendar months. Its length depends on the workers seniority: it is:

* 14 calendar days when the worker has less than 5 years of service
* 21 days from 5 to 10 years of service
* 28 calendar days from 10 to 20 years of service
* 35 calendar days when the employee has more than 20 years of service.

It is forbidden in Argentina to employ female workers between a period of 45 days before and 45 days after childbirth.

Disputes
If you are treated illegally, it is possible to sue your employer. This can also be the case with work which has not been registered. You can also sue in the case of Child labour or if the Ley deContrato de Trabajo (Labour Contract Law) is broken, for example if you are not paid. If you have a problem with your employer, call the national government number 0800-666-4100 or email denuncias@trabajo.gov.ar.