Polywork, defined as holding two or more jobs, has been experiencing notable growth in recent years. Recent data, however, indicates that the phenomenon has intensified since President Javier Milei assumed office. A September report indicates that slightly more than 2 million individuals in Argentina hold multiple jobs, representing approximately 10% of the economically active population. Over the past eight years, the proportion has increased from 8.7% of all employed in 2017 to 11.5% in 2025, marking the highest level alongside 2024. The rise of the gig economy associated with platforms such as Uber and Rappi, coupled with the decline in purchasing power, constitutes the primary drivers of this trend, which exhibits no indications of reversal. The data originates from an analysis conducted by the consulting firm C-P, in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung foundation, utilising official records from the INDEC statistics bureau. “The labor market has been undergoing a significant transformation in recent years, due to a decade of stagnation in the Argentine economy and the emergence of global phenomena like the gig economy,” the report said.
Economist and C-P head Federico Pastrana informed that President Javier Milei’s economic model “adjusts through unemployment and informality,” indicating that both are on the rise. He noted that this is partially attributable to economic stagnation, but it is also a result of a decline in income. Data indicates that registered private-sector wages have decreased by 7.8% during the current administration. For public-sector workers, the decline stands at 15.7%. Informality in salaried work currently registers at 37.9% for the second quarter of this year. This figure represents the highest level in 18 years and exceeds the 10-year average of 34.6%. Pastrana explained that informality exacerbates the decline in purchasing power, as the wages paid in the informal sector “are much lower than those of formal employment,” particularly for independent workers. He added that this trend correlates with an increase in multiple job-holding. “People have to work in more places to supplement those low incomes,” he said. Looking toward the future, the economist ruled out a significant change in the trend for this year. “Those trends are structural […] There will not be major changes until the economic program changes.” Eighty-one percent of polyworkers engage in two occupations, with a significant majority (63%) serving as heads of household. There is a notable representation of women, comprising 56% of the population, with over half residing in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, accounting for 54%.
In terms of age distribution, polywork appears to be predominantly concentrated among individuals in their prime working years, specifically those aged 35 to 49. Polywork also “grows as educational level increases,” reaching a peak among individuals with higher education degrees (42%). Another finding is that 54% are wage earners, with public sector employees comprising a notable 24% of this group. Polyworkers engage in 16% more hours of labour compared to individuals holding a single job. Forty-four percent of them are classified as overworked, defined as those who engage in labour exceeding 45 hours per week. C-P consultancy firm categorised polyworkers into two primary groups: “traditional” and “emerging,” with the latter encompassing 75% of new moonlighters over the past eight years. The consultancy explained that “emergent” polyworkers are a product of the decline in purchasing power and the increase of platform work amid economic stagnation. This group comprises 48% of all polyworkers, with a male representation of 60% and a demographic skew toward a younger age range, specifically those around 35 to 49 years old. They engage in an average of 49 hours of labour each week. Within this group, however, there are also distinctions. On one hand, there exists a distribution of polyworkers, with 37% classified as “white-collar” and 63% as “blue-collar.”
The former workers exhibit elevated income levels, are primarily female, and possess advanced qualifications along with a greater number of educational credentials. On average, they engage in 45 hours of work per week and exhibit a lower level of informality compared to the average. Workers in the blue-collar sector tend to experience lower relative income levels, are primarily male, and generally possess fewer qualifications and lower educational attainment. On average, they engage in 50 hours of work per week and exhibit a greater degree of informality. They accounted for 53% of the overall increase from 2017 to 2025. “Traditional” polyworkers, meanwhile, are located mainly in education, health, and domestic service sectors. They represent 52% of all people with more than one job, and their participation in the public sector is “particularly high.” Furthermore, there is a higher proportion of women, accounting for 77%, and the demographic profile indicates that the members are older. They engage in an average of 36 hours of work per week, which is 13 hours less than their counterparts in emerging polywork environments.
