Economy, jobs and prices in La Rioja, Argentina: official figures
The unemployment rate in La Rioja was 4.5% in the second quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH), 7th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; it was 5.3% a year earlier, so it is down 0.8 percentage points. The rate for all 31 survey areas was 7.9%.
What is the employment rate in La Rioja?
The employment rate in La Rioja (employed people as a share of all residents) was 43.9% in the second quarter of 2026, 14th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site, against 43.2% a year earlier and 45.0% across the 31 survey areas.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the labour force participation rate in La Rioja?
46.0% of residents of La Rioja were working or looking for work in the second quarter of 2026 (the activity rate), 13th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; the year before it was 45.6%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the underemployment rate in La Rioja?
In the second quarter of 2026, 14.5% of the labour force in La Rioja worked fewer hours than they wanted (underemployment), 8th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site, compared with 13.3% a year earlier and 11.5% across the 31 survey areas.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many people in La Rioja work for the government?
In La Rioja, 19.4% of employed people were self-employed and 45.1% of employees worked in the public sector in the first quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH); across the 31 survey areas the shares were 24.2% and 21.9%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many workers in La Rioja are looking for another job?
Among employed people in La Rioja, 18.8% were also looking for another job in the second quarter of 2026, 11th highest of 30 Argentine cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the average income per person in La Rioja?
Mean family income per person in La Rioja was 431,167 pesos a month in the first quarter of 2026 (INDEC EPH, current pesos), 2nd lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site; the mean for all 31 survey areas was 731,516 pesos.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the median income in La Rioja?
The median person in La Rioja lived in a household with family income of 369,225 pesos per person a month in the first quarter of 2026, 3rd lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site (all 31 survey areas: 500,000 pesos).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the average wage in La Rioja?
Employed people in La Rioja who reported earnings made a mean of 612,490 pesos a month from their main job in the first quarter of 2026 (median 510,000 pesos), the lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site on the mean; across the 31 survey areas the mean was 1,104,227 pesos.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow unequal are incomes in La Rioja?
The richest tenth of residents of La Rioja, ranked by family income per person, received 22.9% of all income in the first quarter of 2026, the lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site on income concentration (all 31 survey areas: 33.4%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyIs income in La Rioja above the national average?
Mean family income per person in La Rioja was 0.59 times the mean for the 31 survey areas in the first quarter of 2026, and the median was 0.74 times the 31-area median.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many homes in La Rioja have piped gas?
16.3% of households in La Rioja cooked mainly with piped gas in the first quarter of 2026, 5th lowest of 30 Argentine cities on this site (all 31 survey areas: 64.7%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many people in La Rioja rent their home?
In La Rioja, 66.8% of households owned their home and 22.4% rented it in the first quarter of 2026; the shares for all 31 survey areas were 67.8% and 20.9%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow La Rioja compares with other cities in Argentina
Unemployment rate (Q2 2026)
La Rioja ranks 24 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Posadas | 5.9% |
| 22 | Tucumán-Tafí Viejo | 5.5% |
| 23 | Formosa | 4.8% |
| 24 | La Rioja | 4.5% |
| 25 | Salta | 4.3% |
| 26 | San Salvador de Jujuy-Palpalá | 3.4% |
| 27 | San Juan | 3.2% |
Employment rate (Q2 2026)
La Rioja ranks 17 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Employment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Posadas | 44.5% |
| 15 | Ushuaia-Río Grande | 44.5% |
| 16 | Rio Gallegos | 44.5% |
| 17 | La Rioja | 43.9% |
| 18 | Paraná | 43.3% |
| 19 | Salta | 43.2% |
| 20 | Río Cuarto | 42.6% |
Activity rate (Q2 2026)
La Rioja ranks 18 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Activity rate |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | San Salvador de Jujuy-Palpalá | 47.5% |
| 16 | Posadas | 47.3% |
| 17 | Paraná | 46.4% |
| 18 | La Rioja | 46.0% |
| 19 | Río Cuarto | 45.5% |
| 20 | Salta | 45.1% |
| 21 | Corrientes | 44.9% |
Underemployment rate (Q2 2026)
La Rioja ranks 8 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Underemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Catamarca | 15.8% |
| 6 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 15.6% |
| 7 | Paraná | 15.6% |
| 8 | La Rioja | 14.5% |
| 9 | Santa Rosa-Toay | 13.8% |
| 10 | Córdoba | 12.9% |
| 11 | Bahía Blanca-Cerri | 12.6% |
Informal jobs, share of employed (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 15 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Informal jobs, share of employed |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Córdoba | 48.5% |
| 13 | San Luis - El Chorrillo | 46.1% |
| 14 | Catamarca | 45.1% |
| 15 | La Rioja | 43.9% |
| 16 | Buenos Aires | 43.0% |
| 17 | La Plata | 42.6% |
| 18 | San Nicolás-Villa Constitución | 41.0% |
Mean family income per person (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 29 of 30, highest first. Current pesos, people in households that reported income
| Rank | City | Mean family income per person (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Corrientes | 520,453 |
| 25 | Formosa | 513,725 |
| 26 | Posadas | 505,499 |
| 27 | Santiago del Estero-La Banda | 499,777 |
| 28 | Concordia | 450,779 |
| 29 | La Rioja | 431,167 |
| 30 | Resistencia | 406,752 |
Median family income per person (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 28 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median family income per person (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Corrientes | 393,263 |
| 25 | Formosa | 378,333 |
| 26 | Posadas | 375,075 |
| 27 | Santiago del Estero-La Banda | 375,000 |
| 28 | La Rioja | 369,225 |
| 29 | Concordia | 335,000 |
| 30 | Resistencia | 313,333 |
Mean main-job income of earners (pesos a month) (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 30 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Mean main-job income of earners (pesos a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Corrientes | 767,438 |
| 25 | San Salvador de Jujuy-Palpalá | 735,564 |
| 26 | Santiago del Estero-La Banda | 733,395 |
| 27 | Concordia | 731,576 |
| 28 | Posadas | 711,691 |
| 29 | Resistencia | 692,111 |
| 30 | La Rioja | 612,490 |
Share of income received by the richest tenth (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 30 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Share of income received by the richest tenth |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Tucumán-Tafí Viejo | 27.8% |
| 25 | Mar del Plata-Batán | 27.6% |
| 26 | Río Cuarto | 27.5% |
| 27 | Santiago del Estero-La Banda | 27.2% |
| 28 | Comodoro Rivadavia-Rada Tilly | 25.8% |
| 29 | Rio Gallegos | 25.1% |
| 30 | La Rioja | 22.9% |
Households connected to a public sewer (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 12 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households connected to a public sewer |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Corrientes | 93.3% |
| 10 | Salta | 93.0% |
| 11 | Mendoza | 92.5% |
| 12 | La Rioja | 92.0% |
| 13 | Neuquén-Plottier | 91.3% |
| 14 | Concordia | 89.4% |
| 15 | Formosa | 86.6% |
Households cooking with piped gas (Q1 2026)
La Rioja ranks 26 of 30, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households cooking with piped gas |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Santa Fé | 50.1% |
| 24 | Catamarca | 29.4% |
| 25 | Concordia | 22.0% |
| 26 | La Rioja | 16.3% |
| 27 | Formosa | 4.1% |
| 28 | Corrientes | 1.4% |
| 29 | Resistencia | 1.4% |
More on La Rioja: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · all cities in Argentina
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC): Mercado de trabajo. Tasas e indicadores socioeconómicos (EPH), segundo trimestre de 2026 (Tables 3.2 and 3.3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0a700bac4db…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC): Encuesta Permanente de Hogares (EPH): bases de microdatos usuarias, individual y hogar, primer trimestre de 2026 (figures computed with the survey weights), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d9d23945d4b1…)
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