Structural Adjustment and Its Unequal Impact in Catamarca and Tucumán, 1990–2002

Abstract

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Catamarca, whose economic structure had historically been characterized as traditional and limited, was the province in northern Argentina with the lowest levels of poverty. Tucumán, by contrast, which had the most dynamic economy in the region, showed higher levels of deprivation.

Considering that poverty is related to the transformations undergone by a productive structure through the employment problems these transformations generate, the aim of this article is to examine the relationships between economic transformations and the employment problems experienced by the economically active populations of Catamarca and Tucumán during the period 1990–2002, years in which neoliberal transformations were consolidated in Argentina.

In economic terms, the study considered indicators reflecting the dynamics of agricultural activities, manufacturing industry, and the tertiary sector in both economies. In the labor sphere, unemployment and underemployment rates were examined, as well as certain characteristics of the economically active population of each province.

During the years under study, Tucumán experienced greater deterioration in its labor market, since its economy was more deeply affected by the economic changes of the late twentieth century. Catamarca’s economy, by contrast, while going through incipient stages of economic development, was less harmed by neoliberal economic transformations. There, the State maintained a more significant presence, acting as a mitigating factor for economic difficulties in Catamarca’s labor market.