Mining employment in Argentina dropped in April 2025 to 38,801 formal direct jobs, the lowest level in two years. The figure represents a 5.3% year-on-year decrease, equivalent to the loss of 2,152 jobs compared with April 2024, according to the latest official report released in August by the Secretariat of Mining.
By Panorama Minero
The decline marks the tenth consecutive annual drop, reflecting a slowdown in projects and a contraction in associated services. During the first four months of 2025, the sector shed 605 jobs, consolidating a negative trend that is weighing on the productive chain.
Data from the National Directorate for Mining Promotion and Economy showed the sector accounted for just 0.6% of total registered private employment in April, underscoring its limited share in the national labor market.
By segment, metal mining remained the largest employer with 11,284 jobs (29.1% of the total), though it posted a slight 0.9% decline. Mining services fell 11.1% to 8,807 jobs. Lithium production, which makes up 7.1% of total mining employment with 2,768 jobs, also contracted 7.1%, while lithium exploration and financing rose 11.8%, adding 239 jobs.
At the corporate level, the sector reported 997 active companies in April, 85 fewer than a year earlier, reflecting a 7.9% decline. The average mining company employs 39 workers, though in metal production the concentration is higher: just ten firms account for 84% of employment in the segment.
Meanwhile, female employment in mining fell 2.1% year-on-year to 4,963 jobs, with the largest share in metal and lithium projects. Although segments such as lithium exploration showed progress in women’s participation, the sector’s overall contraction curbed further gains.
With these figures, Argentina’s mining industry faces the challenge of regaining momentum in a scenario where fresh investment and the advancement of new projects will be crucial to reversing the sustained downward trend.
