The Argentine Industrial Union issued a statement after meeting with Economy Minister Luis Caputo, warning of stagnant industrial activity and the loss of over 21,000 jobs in the first nine months of 2025. The manufacturing sector called for fiscal relief, better access to credit, and support for the labor reform under debate in Congress. Industrialists praised macroeconomic stabilization but highlighted challenges to competitiveness in 2026.
The Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) published a statement following its Board of Directors meeting, analyzing industrial performance at the close of 2025. The document, discussed during the encounter with Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Commerce Secretary Pablo Lavigne, describes a year marked by weak and heterogeneous production dynamics, with a negative impact on formal employment.
In September 2025, 4,303 jobs were lost, accumulating a decline of 21,190 jobs in the first nine months of the year. Capacity utilization fell to 61% in October, according to INDEC data. The UIA highlighted advances such as macroeconomic stabilization and fiscal balance but emphasized the need for measures to facilitate credit access and reduce fiscal pressure on the production of tradable goods, which compete at a global disadvantage.
The statement stresses the legislative debate on labor modernization, for which the UIA presented proposals aimed at reducing litigation, providing predictability to companies, and fostering registered employment. "It's been more than 15 years since registered jobs have been created in Argentina. That shows the depth of the problem," said UIA President Martín Rappallini in an interview on Radio Rivadavia. Rappallini defended the reform as key to generating jobs and reducing litigation, expressing concern over the production slowdown and loss of competitiveness in a transitional year.
Caputo, for his part, tweeted: "Meeting with Martín Rappallini and the UIA leadership. We talked about labor reform, the importance of formalization and investment. We agreed to repeat it periodically and work together to continue lowering the Argentine cost and make our industry more competitive every day." The parties agreed on a joint work agenda for 2026, including a prior meeting between Rappallini and Treasury Secretary Carlos Guberman.
The entity also called for a tax reform focused on SMEs to improve competitiveness against external competition.
