Reshaping production structure in Patagonia Austral. Development options in Santa Cruz and its labor markets

• Main Authors: Vacca, Carlos Alberto, Schinelli, Daniel
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral 2015
• Subjects: Patagonia austral; Reestructuración productiva; Crisis y transformación; Desarrollo regional; Sectores productivos; Mercados laborales; Southern Patagonia; productive restructuring; Crisis and transformation; regional development; productive sectors; labor markets; Austral; Patagonia; Chubut; Rentier; Tierra del Fuego
• Online Access: https://publicaciones.unpa.edu.ar/index.php/ICTUNPA/article/view/410

The Provinces of Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego are the regional subsystem of Southern Patagonia. By characterizing each of these provinces, we´ve observed the economic sectors that are part of their production structures and the development of each of them. This analysis lets us know how the region economical structure adapted itself to the changes in the economy and particularly in labor markets from the changes made by the government in the '90s.Special attention was paid to those sectors prevailing in economic structures of the region, and whose behavior reflects significant changes due to neoliberal policies implemented through the State Reform of the late '80s. Economic openness, the predominance of privatization -of great impact on Patagonia Austral, deindustrialization, rising unemployment, labor flexibility and financial deregulation generated significant transformations, changing the social structure of labor and living conditions of the population nationwide.The post 2001 devaluation crisis and the recovery of the State gave rise to new economic conditions and thus the construction of a new regional scenario. The emerging economic sectors allowed us to think about a reconfiguration of the traditional production pattern, based on traditional productions and state rent. On the other side, the 2008’s financial crisis substantially changed the environment, deepening the loss of the competitiveness achieved with the devaluation, starting a new inflationary cycle and impacting heavily on our economy and the emerging new production profile.None the less, the model that has prevailed in the province of Santa Cruz has been characterized by the same research team as subsidizer and of rentier character, noting that most of the population don’t receive their income from their own work on regional productions (coal, oil, gas, mining and industry), but receive income via state transfers, that come from royalties paid by companies from the primary sector, thus ensuring better living conditions for its ...