MASS LAYOFFS IN ARGENTINA: OVERALL

CHARACTERIZATION AND IMPACT ANALYSIS ON

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH (2016-2016)

AUTHORS
Miriam Wlosko Cecilia Ros Demian Tupac Panigo
UNLA-Programa Salud and UNLA-Programa Salud CITRA-CONICET/UMET,
trabajo and trabajo UNLP and UNM
Hernan Letcher Julia Strada Julio Csar Neffa
CEPA and UNDAV CEPA and FLACSO CEIL-CONICET, UNLP and
UBA
Patricia Rivero
CEA-FCS-UNC and
CONICET

FULL TEXT HERE: https://goo.gl/JwpJk7

ABSTRACT

From the end of 2015 to November 2016, more than 230,000 workers lost their jo bs or were
suspended in Argentina, generating an intense recessive and regressive process comparable only
to what happened in 1976 (in terms of income distribution) and to that observed between 1998
and 2002 (in terms of mass layoffs).

In such a context (caused by the failed profit-led growth strategy of the new government), the
objective of this papers is twofold. First, to quantify and provide a sectoral characterization of
this critical situation, combining complementary sources of information from business chambers,
mass media, official administrative registers and trade union organizations. Second, to carry-out
the very first evaluation of its impact on physical and mental health by means of a unique
database of 451 fired workers i n Argenti na between November 2015 and J une 2016.

The main results show that among the 232,286 workers fired or suspended in Argentina over the
last 12 months, 70% came from the private sector, mainly from construction and manufacturi ng
(and specially from metal-mechanical and textile firms). This accelerated process of job
destruction has not only dramatically increased unemployment, poverty and income inequality,
but has also led to a significant deterioration of physical and mental health indicators (higher
than expected from the specialized literature). The health impact of mass layoffs in Argentina
appears to be particularly harmful for women over 45 years old, heads of household and in
charge of large families. Among these population sub-groups, physical health perception
decreased up-to 46% and mental health disorders increased up-to 436% (with frequency of
suicidal ideation multiplying by 3). The magnitude of these consequences that affect about 1/4
million families in Argentina gives rise to the emergence of a severe epidemiological problem
with potentially irreversible damages.

Keywords: Mass layoffs, Unemployment, Argentina, health, mental health.

JEL CODES: J63, J65, I12.