The Governor of Santa Fe, Maximiliano Pullaro, stated on Wednesday that some 40,000 families currently depend on public works and investments driven by the provincial government. This level of activity explains why Greater Rosario has an employment rate of 49.1%, the second highest in the country, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) for the fourth quarter of 2025, behind only the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (52%).
“The economy is not doing well and jobs are being lost across the country, but in Santa Fe we are sustaining them through a very active policy from the Ministry of Productive Development and with resources from the provincial treasury,” the governor noted. In this context, he highlighted the role of fiscal policy: “In the latest Tax Law, we introduced significant tax cuts to support industry in a challenging environment. Every job lost is a family left adrift.”
Pullaro explained that the combination of tax relief and production incentives is aimed at sustaining formal employment. In particular, he mentioned deductions from gross income linked both to the creation of new jobs and to energy costs. “The Province is making an effort to sustain employment at a time when the middle and lower-middle classes are struggling to make ends meet. In this context, a more sensitive approach is needed,” he said.
“We are investing to sustain economic activity”
The governor also highlighted that Santa Fe was one of the jurisdictions least affected by the fall in employment at national level. “This is due to active policies, but also to the commitment of manufacturers and SMEs who continue to invest despite the adverse context,” he said. He added: “We implement counter-cyclical policies: we invest when the economy contracts to sustain economic activity in every locality.”
In this regard, he highlighted the local impact of public works: “In a small village, a single project can provide a livelihood for three, four or five families. It may seem insignificant in a big city, but in these communities it makes all the difference.” For this reason, he defended the level of provincial investment: “If the State were to withdraw, many people would be left without work. Our aim is to create jobs and, at the same time, develop infrastructure that boosts private investment.”
Pullaro also outlined the planned pace of implementation for his administration: “We are going to inaugurate more than one project a day. We have 1,480 days in government and 1,800 projects underway that we will complete before the end of our term.” At the same time, he pledged support for the productive sector: “We will stand by every SME to support them. In this context, it is essential to focus on job creation.”
Outlook for 2026
For his part, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Roald Báscolo, noted that the indicators for Greater Rosario and Greater Santa Fe are above the national average and those of other major urban areas. He also highlighted that sectors such as construction and industry – the hardest hit in the country – are performing differently in the province.
“Santa Fe lost jobs in the first half of 2024, but managed to recover them by the end of 2025 and is now one of the few provinces generating employment in construction, whilst nationally there has been an average decline of 10%,” he stated.
Finally, the official expressed a positive outlook for 2026: “Provincial public works have had a positive impact on construction, a key sector due to its multiplier effect. We are now confident that fiscal measures, particularly the reduction in Gross Income tax, will boost the creation of registered private-sector employment.”
