Argentina’s workforce has been changing shape over the past two years: fewer young people are entering the job market, while more retirees are being pushed back to make ends meet.

The trend, laid out by the Instituto Argentina Grande (IAG) in one of its latest reports, is moving at two speeds. The number of Argentines aged 66 and over going back to work climbed 12% in the past year. Over the same stretch, youth unemployment rose sharply, from 14% to 18%.

For young people, the picture is doubly grim. Fewer Argentines between 18 and 26 are looking for work at all — and those who are find fewer jobs waiting for them. The pool of job seekers has shrunk, but landing a job has gotten harder, not easier.

Young men are giving up on the job hunt faster than young women. Labor force participation among women in that age bracket fell 2.4% over the past two years, while among men the drop was 3%.

“In general, when you see both unemployment and........

© Buenos Aires Herald