Public Salaries Drop 40.5% Under Milei, Police and Military Most Affected

The salary of public employees has decreased by 40.5% since the beginning of Javier Milei's government, while credit delinquency has multiplied by 3.4 in the last two years, according to a report from the Association of State Workers (ATE) of Buenos Aires City. The loss of purchasing power is linked to an increase in over-indebtedness, with the rate of public workers in irregular delinquency rising from 5.43% in July 2024 to 18.63% in June 2026. 80.7% of irregular state employees are at high risk or in an unrecoverable situation. The financial situation particularly affects workers in Security and Defense, with the General Staff of the Army being the most affected at 30.1% delinquency, followed by the Federal Penitentiary Service at 28.5% and the Argentine Federal Police at 24.2%. Regionally, La Rioja shows a 29.38% non-compliance rate, Formosa 28.69%, and Santa Cruz 28.55%, while Buenos Aires City has the lowest indicator at 9.56%. Workers are resorting to credit for everyday expenses, and the income cuts have pushed many out of the banking system towards digital platforms with high rates. Banco Nación is the largest creditor with 24,407 workers in delinquency and a rate of 8.56%. Naranja Digital has a delinquency rate of 31.86% and Moni Online 60.53%. Delinquency is concentrated among workers aged 36 to 55, affecting 9,818 civilians.