AREA - Promoting decent work after financial crisis in Argentina
In the wake of the 2001 Argentinean banking crisis, the ILO implemented the AREA Programme with the support of the Italian Ministry of Labour aiming at:
- Restructuring and strengthening local networks for economic development and promotion of small and medium enterprises.
- Promoting full employment and accessibility to the labour market.
- Improving government’s policies for employment.
The programme runs over a 3 year period (from 2004 to 2007) and benefits from financial support of over 12 million US dollars. Up to date, this has lead to setting up 150 public agencies for employment all over the country and the application of new development and employment strategies conceived after study of demand and work of the labour market.
Recent data collected by the Instituto Nacional de Censos y Estadisticas (Argentinean Institute of Statistics) show a positive overview on the Argentinean economy under various angles:
- GDP growth was positive and sustained;
- Unemployment has declined steadily reaching a rate of 11.1 percent December 2005;
- Average salaries and pensions have been growing;
- Poverty rate (which was very high in May 2002, when 57.5 percent of Argentineans were living below the poverty line) fell down to today’s 44.5 percent.
Further information
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