The administration of Javier Milei continues to deepen the crisis for workers. According to a report from the Center for Research and Training of the Argentine Republic (CIFRA-CTA), the Minimum, Vital and Mobile Wage (SMVM) has accumulated a drop of more than 40% in its purchasing power since the libertarian president took office. The data is damning: the current minimum wage of 376,600 pesos would need to be 955,000 pesos if it had kept pace with inflation since 2015 without losing value.
The report details that the strong inflationary impact of the first months caused an initial decline of 30% that was never reversed. On the contrary, for two years there have been consecutive monthly contractions. In the absence of collective bargaining agreements, all increases were defined by arbitration of the Secretary of Labor, aligning with business proposals. This validated the loss of purchasing power of the lowest wages.
The minimum wage has ceased to be a reference floor in the labor market. In June 2016, it represented 37.2% of the average registered salary in the private sector; today it barely reaches 16.6%. Furthermore, according to the Observatory of Labor and Economy (MATE), registered workers have lost a cumulative 2.5 million pesos out of pocket since Milei took office.
The total basic basket (CBT) for a typical family of four stood at 1.5 million pesos in June. More than four minimum wages are needed to reach the poverty line. The basic food basket (CBA), which defines indigence, reached 690,000 pesos, and the minimum wage barely covers half. In June, the CBT rose 2.2%, above general inflation, accumulating an increase of 35.7% for the year.
The CIFRA work, signed by Mariana González with the collaboration of Oscar Geffner, shows concrete examples of the devaluation of labor. Ten years ago, one hour of minimum wage equaled a kilo of bread; today it takes two and a half hours. For ground beef, it went from two hours to six hours of work. For public transportation, in 2016 a round trip subway ride was paid with 15 minutes of work; today it requires 1 hour and 41 minutes.
Poverty levels continue to rise. According to the Department of Economics of Torcuato Di Tella University (UNTDT), in the January-June semester, poverty reached 31.6%, three points higher than the previous semester. This means that 9.4 million people live in poor urban households. In the first semester of 2026, more than one million people fell below the poverty line, adding 1.2 million new poor.
The income crisis is the pauperization mechanism of the planned misery program of La Libertad Avanza. In the first quarter of the year, 70% of households had incomes that did not exceed 846,000 pesos, while the total basic basket had already soared to 1.4 million. The gap is increasingly unsustainable for working families.
Para mí esto huele a puro verso sindical. Milei está limpiando el curro de la CTA, que son unos zurdos. Si el pan está caro, que compren fideos, no jodan. 9,4 millones de vagos viven del plan, a laburar carajo. VLLC!
para mí este gobierno de mierda nos está matando de hambre. Milei y su patota de ricos hijos de puta nos roban hasta el pan. 2 horas y media laburando para un kilo de pan, es una vergüenza. yo creo que basta de ajuste, fuera los capitalistas. viva la lucha obrera.