Mining has consolidated its position as the most dynamic source of formal private employment in Jujuy, over the past decade. According to a labor market report covering 2015–2024, the sector recorded 52% cumulative employment growth, outpacing industry in job creation, wages, and demand for skilled labor.
By Panorama Minero
The study, prepared by the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the National University of Jujuy at the request of the Jujuy Industrial Union, shows a significant shift in the province’s employment structure. Mining increased its share of total employment from 3.2% to 4.6%, while industry declined from 20.6% to 17.3%, highlighting the growing role of extractive activities—particularly lithium.
Mining employment peaked in 2022 and 2023 and, despite a slight decline in 2024, remains well above early-decade levels. Over the same period, industrial employment fell by around 12%. Jujuy’s share of national mining employment also rose steadily, from 2.2% to 3%, driven by lithium development and emerging projects.
Wages further underscore the sector’s impact. The average nominal salary in mining reached ARS 2.83 million in 2024, well above industrial wages. Mining was also the only sector to improve real purchasing power, with a 39% increase over the period.
The report highlights a strong trend toward professionalization, with the share of professional workers in mining rising by 45 percentage points, as well as notable progress in gender inclusion. Female employment in mining grew by 236% over the decade, although women still represent just 17% of the workforce.
The findings position mining as the main engine of formal employment growth in Jujuy, contrasting with the relative stagnation of traditional industry and reinforcing the sector’s strategic role in the province’s economic development.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Jujuy Industrial Union, led by its president Federico Gatti, along with key figures from the business and mining sectors. From the Jujuy Mining Chamber, participants included its secretary Nilo Carrión, manager Rubén Agüero, Arturo Pfister shortly before being elected president of the organization, and Exar’s Community Relations and Communications manager, Lucila Lasry, among other sector stakeholders.
From the academic sphere, the session was led by the Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the National University of Jujuy, Mg. Javier Martínez, accompanied by the Extension Secretary Mg. Jaime Iber Alfaro Aliaga and Lic. Maribel Gudiño, who presented the main findings of the study conducted together with Lic. Laura Cozzi.
