Milei denies Argentines can’t make ends meet and unemployment is soaring

President Javier Milei made a speech at the closure of the 26th Council of the Americas, dismissing claims that Argentines can't make ends meet and that unemployment is soaring. He mocked the notion that people can't make ends meet or that technological progress destroys jobs. Milei stated that economic data contradicts such criticisms, and jokingly implied that left-wing supporters are problematic.

Unemployment stood at 7.8% in the first quarter of the year, slightly higher than the previous quarter and 2.1 percentage points above his administration's start in December 2023. Informality increased by 2.2% annually. The president justified lower public employee salaries by saying it means paying less taxes. Private-sector salaries increased by 1.9% in June, matching the inflation rate recorded that month, but remained 3.6% below November 2023 levels.

Milei also addressed the closure of companies, stating that while some one-employee companies disappear, others open with more employees. He reiterated his commitment to lowering inflation and economic growth, claiming that inflation has dropped by 85%, though retail inflation was still 2.1% in July. The president also blamed legal abortion for Argentina's falling birth rate, despite the trend dating back to 2014.