« Wages are rising and poverty is falling »
Measured in dollars, the average wage is at its highest in years, and official poverty has fallen below 30 % — presented together as proof the plan is working.
But both stories crumble on closer look. The poverty drop comes after the peak the devaluation caused, and hides child poverty of ~42 % (chart below). And the « dollar wealth » rests on the overvalued peso (the same atraso), not productivity gains: in real purchasing power, the formal wage has barely returned to its pre-Milei level, and the informal workers (≈ 43 %) and pensioners lost far more. December 2023 showed it: a devaluation can halve the dollar wage in a month.
The average wage converted into dollars, at the official rate AND at the blue rate (the only one accessible under the cepo).
The same wage deflated by inflation (base 100 = Nov. 2023): the real purchasing power. ⚠️ Formal employees only.