The Multiple Expressions of State Informalization in Employment. the Case of Young Workers in Argentina.

This paper examines multiple dimensions of state informalization in the field of youth employment in Argentina. Informalization is perceived in at least four expressions. First, in its most obvious form: informal employment (that is without protection or stability). This type of work structures the labor market and is challenging for the majority of young female and male workers, especially for the most disadvantaged youth. Second, informality coexists within formal and protected employment. The state has difficulty to control this type of informalization, which is often illegal, due to its opacity or invisibility. Third, informalization exists in the ambiguity of state programs for youth employment (training, grants, and social inclusion programs). Some of these programs contribute to blur the boundaries of what constitutes as work, or what distinguishes formal from informal employment. Finally, informal situations come from unexpected effects of employment formalization policies. Moreover, different expressions of informality in the field of employment have contrasting effects on young workers’ employment dispositions with consequences for their future careers: the internalization of inequalities; ignorance of their social rights; feelings of injustice; engagement in community projects; individual job searches, etc. These points will be illustrated drawing on qualitative and longitudinal research on the careers of young workers in Argentina.