Overview
- The UBA and CONICET CEHEAL/IIEP study finds the Salario Mínimo, Vital y Móvil lost about 39.3% of its real purchasing power between November 2023 and April 2026.
- The government fixed the June 2026 minimum at $367,800 by Resolución 9/2025 and scheduled small nominal raises for July and August before the Consejo del Salario must reconvene in September.
- Measured nominally at roughly $357,800 in April 2026, the minimum wage covers far less than the May food basket of about $844,146 and would need to rise to an estimated $1.51M–$1.84M to restore its 1964 purchasing power.
- The study links the wage erosion to broader income stress, reporting a 4.8% fall in average real private wages and a loss of roughly 206,000 formal private salaried jobs since November 2023.
- Historically, the SMVM peaked in September 2011 and has trended down since then; failed tripartite talks prompted the Executive’s decree route and have left unions, employers, and social programs contesting whether the minimum still serves its original safety‑net role.