In Argentina, the employment map is quite heterogeneous, with Mar del Plata identified as the urban area with the highest rate of self-employment, according to the Permanent Household Survey conducted by Indec. As of the third quarter of 2025, self-employed workers made up 32.5% of the workforce in Mar del Plata, significantly higher than the national average of 24.5%. On the other end of the spectrum, Río Gallegos has the highest participation rate of salaried workers, indicating a contrasting employment dynamic within the country.

The survey revealed that nationally, 71.9% of workers were salaried, 24.5% were self-employed, and only a small percentage engaged as employers or family workers without remuneration. The consulting firm Politikon Chaco compared these figures with data from the same quarter in 2016, noting a 3.6 percentage point decrease in the share of salaried workers over the nine-year span. This shift reflects broader socio-economic changes impacting the labor market across different regions in Argentina.

The implications of these statistics highlight critical issues regarding employment trends, economic stability, and the vibrancy of self-employment in certain cities versus traditional salaried positions in others. Such insights can guide policy recommendations aimed at improving job opportunities and livelihoods across varying urban contexts in Argentina.