Argentina’s Industry Day Counts 90,000 Registered Industrial Jobs Lost

Argentina · INDUSTRY

Argentina’s yearly celebration of industry went ahead without the president or the economy minister. The mood was grim.

Industry Day in Argentina turned into a warning rather than a party. The country’s main manufacturers’ association counted 90,000 registered industrial jobs lost since August 2023.

The association is the Union Industrial Argentina, known as the UIA. It held its central event on Wednesday 2 September 2026.

The venue was the Elea Phoenix laboratory plant in Malvinas Argentinas. That is a district in Buenos Aires province.

A Notable Absence at Industry Day

Only Pablo Lavigne, Secretary of Production Coordination, represented the executive. He was the single national official on the platform.

Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli withdrew hours before the event. President Javier Milei attended a Fundacion Libertad y Progreso forum the same day instead.

Fundacion Libertad y Progreso is a free-market think tank in Buenos Aires. Its stage is friendly ground for the government’s economic team.

Ministers normally turn up at Industry Day, and often the president does too. The empty seats therefore drew more attention than the speeches.

What the UIA Said About Jobs

UIA president Martin Rappallini gave the main speech. He said 90,000 registered industrial jobs have been lost since August 2023.

That total is the UIA’s own count. Registered jobs are formal payroll positions that show up in social security records.

The figure does not measure total employment in industry. Informal and unregistered work sits outside it.

A separate UIA figure covers only the last twelve months. It puts the loss at 52,000 registered industrial jobs.

The two counts cover different periods. The longer one starts in August 2023, months before Milei took office.

So the total is not a scorecard for one government alone. It does cover the whole of Milei’s term so far.

What the Manufacturers Want

The UIA asked for cheaper credit for factories. It also asked for lower taxes and relief on utility tariffs.

Utility tariffs are the regulated prices for electricity and gas. Manufacturers say those bills have climbed faster than their sales.

Credit is the sharpest of the three demands. Argentine companies have long paid steep interest rates to borrow.

Rappallini framed the list as a plan rather than a complaint. He asked both sides to leave aggressive exchanges behind.

The Minister’s Reply the Same Day

The answer came from a different stage on the same afternoon. Economy Minister Luis Caputo spoke at a Fundacion Libertad y Progreso event.

He said it was unjust that “Argentines pay two, three or four times more for lower-quality goods.” The remark read as a rebuke of local manufacturers.

Caputo’s case is that protection makes life dearer for everyone. The UIA’s case is that cheap imports are closing plants.

What Is Industry Day?

Industry Day, or Dia de la Industria in Spanish, falls on 2 September each year. It recalls an early shipment of locally made goods sent abroad in 1587.

The UIA hosts the central event every year. Government attendance is normally routine.

This year the focus was on losses rather than celebration. The tone was closer to a warning than a toast.

The UIA’s Role in Argentina

The UIA is Argentina’s main manufacturers’ association. It speaks for food, steel, chemicals, machinery and many smaller sectors.

Its Industry Day event is the loudest moment of its year. Companies use it to put their grievances on the record.

Why the Rift Matters

Milei’s government has cut import tariffs and opened the border to foreign goods. It says competition will force local firms to improve.

Manufacturers say the change arrived too fast. They point to expensive energy, costly credit and falling factory output.

Both sides agree that Argentine goods cost too much. They disagree completely about the cure.

A History of Tension

Relations between the UIA and the economy ministry have been sour for months. The dispute is about falling output and competitiveness.

Rappallini’s plea for calmer language did not survive the day. Caputo’s remarks came only hours later.

Looking Ahead After Industry Day

The UIA will keep pressing for credit, tax relief and lower utility bills. The government gave no sign of a change of course.

Whether the two sides sit down together again is unclear. The job numbers will keep being counted either way.

The next Industry Day falls on 2 September 2027. The UIA will have another set of figures by then.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Industry Day in Argentina?

Industry Day, also known as Dia de la Industria, is an annual Argentine observance on 2 September. The UIA hosts the central event, and government attendance is normally routine.

How many industrial jobs have been lost according to the UIA?

The UIA said 90,000 registered industrial jobs have been lost since August 2023, by its own count. A separate UIA figure puts the loss at 52,000 over the last twelve months.

Who represented the government at Industry Day?

Only Pablo Lavigne, Secretary of Production Coordination, represented the executive. Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli withdrew hours before the event.

What did Economy Minister Caputo say?

Caputo said it was unjust that “Argentines pay two, three or four times more for lower-quality goods.” He spoke later the same day at a Fundacion Libertad y Progreso event.

What did the UIA ask for at Industry Day?

The UIA called for credit, lower taxes and relief on utility tariffs to help the sector recover. It also asked to leave aggressive exchanges behind.

Sources: La Nacion; El Economista; iProfesional; elDiarioAR; Rio Negro; BAE Negocios.