In Argentina, young people are increasingly facing precarious employment, difficulties buying housing and limited opportunities for social mobility. This is stated in an opinion column by the Buenos Aires Times, which compares the current generation of young people to the “lost generation” of the early 20th century.
The author notes that attention to youth issues usually focuses on juvenile crime, drugs, unemployment and online betting. At the same time, in his view, the everyday living conditions of young Argentines, particularly in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, are no less important.
Education and precarious employment
According to the column, the number of universities in Argentina has increased from 80 to 130 over the past two decades. At the same time, formally registered employment in the private sector has declined, while the number of public-sector workers has recently been cut.
Stable work, which previously could provide decades of employment and eligibility for a standard pension, is increasingly being replaced by temporary jobs. In the author’s view, gig-economy workers are more focused on current income because pension prospects are out of reach for them.
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The article also mentions the 2027 budget bill submitted to Congress: according to the author’s estimate, pensions account for about 40% of spending, while universities receive around 3%. President Javier Milei’s administration, which is generally cutting social spending, has nevertheless doubled AUH child benefits.
Housing and political apathy
The author identifies housing as a separate problem for young people. The transfer of real estate from parents to children has become more difficult in many families, while longer life expectancy delays this process where it remains possible. According to data cited in the column, in a country with a population of 46 million, only slightly more than a quarter of a million people have a mortgage.
A new government programme to support mortgage lending using pension reserves is, according to data cited in the column, unavailable to those earning less than 3.5 million pesos per month.
The author also writes about the political disengagement of young voters, who make up more than a quarter of the electorate. Javier Milei received significant support from young people as an anti-establishment candidate in 2023, but after 30 months in power, in the author’s view, he is already associated with the system. Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof, whom the author calls Milei’s main alternative, has been in power for nearly 80 months for the youth of Greater Buenos Aires. The author believes that the absence of crime from his priorities is a source of disappointment for some young people.
