Argentina has suffered in the same way as many other countries in the recent economic downturn, but even with improvements, the job market for expats is rather limited and unemployment remains at a high rate. Those who do manage to find work are generally those who speak the language and who are prepared to work for the same rates as the Argentine people.

The average monthly salary is fairly low but the cost of living there is not high and expats will find that the average salary will also vary according to the region they are living in, level of qualifications and whether or not they have a formal contract. Argentina has a minimum wage system for those aged 18 and over but this varies according to the industry and profession. Workers also enjoy an automatic bonus system. This is the equivalent of one month’s pay and is paid to the worker in two parts, half in June and half in December.

Argentina has maximum working hours which should be observed. The maximum number of working hours each day is 8 and the maximum for a week is 48. Those who have a full-time regular job should expect to work no more than 44 hours or 42 if working nights. Those who have jobs in dangerous environments work a maximum of 36 hours. Only a few professions are permitted to work on Saturday afternoons and Sundays and most will enjoy this time off.

Employees are entitled to paid leave after a period of six months and the amount of leave depends on length of service. Less than five years entitles the worker to 14 calendar days, from five to ten years this rises to 21 days, from ten to twenty years it is 28 days and more than 20 years entitles the worker to 35 calendar days leave. Argentine women are expected to retire at the age of 60 and this age increases to 65 for men.

The country does have laws regarding employment and contracts, but as a large number of workers are not officially registered by their employers this is hard to enforce. Most workers will be given a contract for an unlimited period of time as fixed term contracts are rare. The notice period if a worker chooses to leave a job is 15 days, if the contract is terminated by the employer this depends on how long the worker has been in the job.

Expats who wish to apply for a work visa should have a firm offer of employment in place before applying as a contract of employment is one of the requirements. Many expats, particularly the younger ones, take jobs teaching English in Argentina, and good teachers are always in demand.

When seeking work recruitment agencies are a good place to start and www.antal.com is an international recruitment agency placing executives worldwide, while British agency www.reed.co.uk also recruit for vacancies in Argentina. Language skills are very important as most business is carried out in Spanish.