Economy, jobs and prices in Buenos Aires City, Argentina: official figures
The 2022 census found 135,542 unemployed people in Buenos Aires City out of 1,814,325 economically active residents aged 14 and over, an unemployment rate of 7.5%; 7th lowest of the 23 provinces and Buenos Aires City (Argentina: 8.5%).
How many people in Buenos Aires City have a job?
1,678,783 residents aged 14 and over in Buenos Aires City were in work at the 2022 census, 62.9% of that age group, the highest of the 23 provinces and Buenos Aires City (Argentina: 58.2%); 68.0% were working or looking for work.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Buenos Aires City now?
Unemployment in Buenos Aires City was 5.6% in the second quarter of 2026, according to INDEC's Permanent Household Survey (EPH) (coefficient of variation 16.7%: INDEC advises treating it with caution); 11th lowest of the 32 urban areas INDEC reports (all 31 areas: 7.9%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyIs unemployment rising in Buenos Aires City?
A year earlier, in the second quarter of 2025, unemployment in Buenos Aires City was 4.3%, so the rate is up 1.3 percentage points (all 31 areas: 7.6% to 7.9%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow many people in Buenos Aires City are underemployed?
6.8% of the workforce in Buenos Aires City was underemployed (working fewer hours than they wanted) in the second quarter of 2026, and 13.9% were in work but looking for another job (all 31 areas: 11.5% and 16.9%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC) · saved copyHow Buenos Aires City compares with other autonomous cities
Unemployment rate (Census 2022) (2022)
Buenos Aires City ranks 18 of 24, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate (Census 2022) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Rio Negro | 7.8% |
| 16 | Chubut | 7.7% |
| 17 | Catamarca | 7.6% |
| 18 | Buenos Aires City | 7.5% |
| 19 | La Rioja | 7.1% |
| 20 | Neuquen | 7.0% |
| 21 | Formosa | 6.7% |
Employment rate, ages 14+ (Census 2022) (2022)
Buenos Aires City ranks 1 of 24, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, ages 14+ (Census 2022) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires City | 62.9% |
| 2 | Tierra del Fuego | 62.5% |
| 3 | Neuquen | 61.6% |
| 4 | La Pampa | 61.5% |
| 5 | Santa Cruz | 61.3% |
| 6 | Chubut | 60.8% |
| 7 | La Rioja | 60.1% |
Unemployment rate in the province's largest EPH urban area (Q2 2026)
Buenos Aires City ranks 14 of 24, highest first. INDEC's household survey covers 31 urban areas, not whole provinces; each province is shown by its largest surveyed urban area.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate in the province's largest EPH urban area |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | La Pampa | 6.7% |
| 12 | Catamarca | 6.4% |
| 13 | Misiones | 5.9% |
| 14 | Buenos Aires City | 5.6% |
| 15 | Tucuman | 5.5% |
| 16 | Formosa | 4.8% |
| 17 | La Rioja | 4.5% |
More on Buenos Aires City: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Argentina
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC): Censo 2022, resultados definitivos: Cuadro 1, population aged 14 and over in private dwellings by economic activity status and jurisdiction, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4f85e28dc7…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INDEC): Mercado de trabajo: tasas e indicadores socioeconomicos (EPH), segundo trimestre de 2026: Cuadros 1.2-1.4 and 1.8 (labour-market rates by urban area, reference population, unemployment coefficients of variation, unemployment series 2016-2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1e66ffc84c08…)
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