ATE report reveals wage crisis and high debt among Argentine state workers

A report by the Asociación de Trabajadores del Estado (ATE) and Feminismo Sindical reveals a severe wage crisis among public sector workers in Argentina. According to the findings, 87% of state employees carry active debt, often using credit to cover essential living expenses. Specifically, 60% of this debt is used to purchase food, followed by medication (28%) and rent (16%).

To compensate for lost purchasing power, 55% of public employees have turned to multiple employment (pluriempleo). Many of these workers add more than four hours of additional labor to their standard daily schedules. The report notes that the situation is particularly acute for women, with 34% working between 8 and 12 hours daily.

In the Entre Ríos province, local data mirrors these national trends, showing that 84% of households are in debt. The union warns that the reliance on credit cards, personal loans, and salary advances has shifted from a tool for progress to a necessary survival strategy for basic subsistence, while also contributing to a decline in mental and emotional health among workers.