With more than 65,000 positions eliminated since December 2023, the State's adjustment is progressing steadily, consolidating the fiscal surplus and projecting new cuts to deepen the decline in public spending.
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Since coming to power, Javier Milei's government has advanced with one of the most profound transformations on the state apparatus in decades. Within the framework of its “chainsaw” policy, aimed at sustaining the fiscal surplus, the national administration managed to eliminate — on average — public employment every 18 minutes, generating a total savings estimated at US$2505 million. The adjustment began in December 2023 and, until February 2026, involved the reduction of 65,528 jobs in the national administration, representing a 13% reduction in public employment. The data come from monthly reports from the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation, which show a sustained and uninterrupted cut: every month there were falls compared to the previous period
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The magnitude of the process becomes even more convincing when the figures are disaggregated: from December 10, 2023 to February 28, 2026, the State fell by almost 81 charges per day, 3.4 per hour, and one every 18 minutes. A constant pace that reflects the political decision to reduce public spending as the central axis of the libertarian economic program. According to the official report, “up to February 2026, the reduction of staff in the public sector generated savings in salaries of US$1252 million. It is estimated, with broad consensus, that the total cost of each employee doubles their salary due to expenses in labor infrastructure, such as office space, furniture, electronic equipment, supplies and various services. Taking these factors into account, the total savings would reach US$2505
million.” Monthly cuts in state personnel In parallel, data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses present similar figures, although with slight methodological differences: 64,521 positions eliminated, with a drop from 341,473 positions in December 2023 to 276,952 in February 2026.
In that last month alone, the reduction was 1737 charges, equivalent to 0.6% less than in January
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The cutout was not homogeneous. Decentralized administration- which includes bodies such as the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, the National Social Security Administration and theNational Institute of Agricultural Technology - accounted for 34% of the total reduction, with 22,227 fewer positions. It was followed by State companies and corporations, with 21,458 jobs eliminated (33%), and centralized administration, with 15,513 casualties (24%), according to the analysis of Nadin Argañaraz, president of IARAF
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Among the agencies most affected in absolute terms are the Official Postal Service, with 5333 fewer employees; Railway Operator, with 3746; and the Customs Collection and Control Agency (ARCA), with a reduction of 3267 workers.CONICET (2290), Banco Nación (2148)and Aerolíneas Argentinas (1940) also registered strong adjustments
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The process also included the total elimination of structures considered to be expendable. “If we analyze the intensity of the reduction in each of the institutions, given the way in which the positions are registered, we find that four (among those with the lowest employment) reduced 100%. In other words, they disappeared.
These are the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (Inadi), the National Institute of Family, Peasant and Indigenous Agriculture (Inafci), Development of Human Capital Railways Sacpem and the National Agency for Disability (Andis),” said Nadin Argañaraz.
In turn, other organisms experienced deep cutbacks without disappearing.
The State Advertising Agency reduced its plant by 79%; the Mint by 49%; and the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) by 48%.The Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation in X At the opposite extreme, some institutions registered more moderate adjustments, such as the National Institute of Social Services for Retired and Retired Persons (Inssjp), with a decrease of 6%; the General Staff of the Air Force, with 7%; and CONICET itself, with 8%.
The Government's direction was publicly reaffirmed by the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger, who said: “We are still working to lower taxes. VLLC”, in a message released in early April along with graphics of the state reduction
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Finally, the official report concludes: “As of February 2026, President Javier Milei's administration has achieved significant savings of US$2505 million through the reduction of staff in the public sector. This measure reflects the Government's commitment to reducing public spending and its determination to fulfill promises of efficiency and austerity in public administration. The strategy will be deepened with greater staff reductions and the elimination of areas that do not fulfill an essential mission
