Workers in the Argentine gig economy have been increasing consistently over the past year as a result of a decrease in formal employment. According to estimates from the App-Based Workers Union (Sitrarepa, for its Spanish acronym), the workforce in this sector approaches 1 million individuals. Official data from the Superintendency of Occupational Risks, the government agency tasked with overseeing workplace safety, indicates that around 339,000 formal jobs have been lost since President Milei assumed office in December 2023. Individuals seeking employment are not the sole demographic gravitating towards delivery and ride-hailing applications. They are also utilised by individuals seeking to augment their income, in light of the diminishing purchasing power of wages. Private-sector wages are currently 4.8% lower than their levels in November 2023, whereas public-sector wages have decreased by 17%, as reported. A series of recent data points, however, indicate that these apps’ capacity to absorb labour may be reaching its limit. Milei is relying on substantial investments in energy and mining to create a “trickle-down” effect for other sectors of the economy.
If the gig economy operates as an intermediary phase, saturation prompts enquiries regarding the feasibility of the government’s economic strategy to create quality employment within a reasonable timeframe. Delivery apps — led by PedidosYa and Rappi — along with ride-hailing services such as Uber, Cabify, and DiDi, represent the most significant employment sources within the platform economy. It is challenging, however, to identify a precise figure owing to the varying methodologies employed by these companies in counting their users.Cabify has approximately 40,000 registered drivers across the country. The figure has been increasing at an average rate of 25% since the previous year. DiDi reported that over 500,000 car and motorcycle drivers utilise their platform, reflecting a 48% year-over-year growth compared to 2025. In the food delivery sector, PedidosYa reported having 64,000 active delivery drivers in May of this year. In late 2025, Rappi disclosed that 151,874 individuals had finalised at least one order during that year, reflecting a remarkable 252% increase compared to the previous year. The most comprehensive figure, however, is the Sitrarepa estimate of 1 million people working in the sector. ‘Approximately 700,000 are engaged in the transportation of individuals, while 300,000 are involved in the delivery of food’, stated the union general secretary. D’Ambrosio (34) previously managed three jobs; however, in March, she experienced a layoff from one of those positions. She is presently engaged in teaching while also serving as a delivery driver. The earnings per order she previously generated, however, are not at the same level as before. “Sometimes we carry orders worth AR$60,000 and end up with just AR$2,000,” she explained. D’Ambrosio also criticised the methodology employed by apps in determining payment for orders, describing it as “arbitrary and opaque.”
Haroldo Montagu posits that the gig economy could “theoretically” accommodate workers, provided that platforms continue to onboard new users. The ongoing expansion, however, results in diminished earnings for employees. “Demand lagged far behind supply, which led platforms to increase their commissions, thereby reducing drivers’ earnings per trip, and seek alternatives, such as Uber’s campaign to promote short trips,” he stated. CONICET economic researcher Mariana González indicates that there are already signs of a deceleration in the absorption pace of the gig economy. She emphasised three “proxy” indicators. The first was the increase in informal employment, reaching 43% as per official data from the last quarter of 2025. In the corresponding period of 2024, the figure stood at 42%.The second was the increase in informal self-employment, rising from 62.4% in 2024 to 63.3%. Additionally, there is an increase in alternative forms of employment, exemplified by the tax framework for self-employed individuals referred to as monotributo. “This can also be understood as a sign that the mechanisms for absorbing the labour force through what is called ‘refuge employment,’ activities that workers turn to in the face of formal job loss, are reaching their limits,” González argued. Centre-right think tank Fundación Mediterránea additionally presented another data point. Motorcycle registrations exhibited unprecedented growth from January to April, reflecting a 25% increase since the beginning of the year. Last month, however, they recorded a 16.9% decline, which may indicate the platform economies’ “limit” to incorporate additional workers.
According to Dante Sica, the former production minister and head of consulting firm ABECEB, the consistent rise of gig economy workers represents a worldwide trend. What is occurring in Argentina, he contended, is that this trend has manifested later than in other regions. “These are new forms of work that, due to having fewer barriers than formal employment did a few decades ago, rapidly generate opportunities to earn income, which also alters the concept and dynamics of unemployment,” he stated. The current scenario, he added, is “just the beginning of the expansion of platform-based employment,” underscoring the significance of e-commerce for the sector’s sustained growth. “Argentina still has a low level of e-commerce, and much of it relies on last-mile logistics systems that are often supplied by the platform economies themselves,” he noted. He recognised the potential for certain activities to encounter “saturation peaks,” yet he remained doubtful that this would lead to a decline in income levels. “A balance will eventually be reached, and those jobs will shift to other activities,” he added.
D’Ambrosio did not share his optimism, highlighting the setback that the labour reform passed in late February represents. The legislation determined that platform workers are classified as independent contractors, thereby exempting companies from formal labour obligations. “New technologies are being used as an excuse to drag us back to slavery in terms of social and labour rights,” she argued. Among the instances of precarious working conditions, she affirmed that account rental on delivery apps, a practice explicitly prohibited by the platforms’ policies, does occur. In certain instances, the phenomenon arises from the blocking of accounts belonging to delivery workers, a scenario that D’Ambrosio characterised as a “covert dismissal.” Other instances may include immigrants who do not possess the requisite Argentine documentation or minors who utilise borrowed accounts to contribute to household income.