Poll: Unemployment now Argentina’s top concern as households struggle financially

Unemployment has emerged as the primary concern for Argentine households, surpassing rising prices and utility bills. A recent survey by Management & Fit consultancy found that 19.8% of respondents identified unemployment as the country's main problem, an increase of 2.2 percentage points from the previous month. Concerns over rising prices and utility bills, on the other hand, decreased by 3.5 points, from 22.4% to 18.9%.

Almost seven out of ten personal concerns are directly linked to the economy, reflecting a shift in households' economic priorities. While inflation and utility costs remain among the main reported concerns, employment has moved into first place. Economic difficulties accounted for 69.1% of mentions when respondents discussed problems affecting their households, with the main personal concern being the difficulty of making ends meet, cited by 22% of those surveyed.

Other personal concerns include low incomes (17.2%) and personal or family debt problems (10.4%). Concerns linked to the labor market have also increased, with a lack of work or unemployment cited by 9.4% of respondents, up from 8.9% in July, while concerns about losing one's job rose from 3.5% to 4.5%. The deterioration is evident in household income, with 52.4% of households reporting their income either did not cover expenses or did so with difficulty.

Only 11.8% reported their income comfortably covered expenses and allowed for savings. Negative assessments of personal financial situations have also worsened, with 39.3% rating their financial situation negatively, up 1.8 percentage points from July. The report highlights that negative perceptions are particularly prevalent among women and people with lower levels of education.