Many times, it’s hard to think of examples of how money gapthe difference that exists in Argentina between the value of the official dollar and that of the blue or Bolsa, can have an impact on the real economy.

Companies thrive in the knowledge economy sector in one’s own flesh and daily separation of prices, that is reached 120% last year and that is at 74%.

Workers in this sector, especially those engaged in computing, they prefer to work abroadcollect dollars and sell those currencies on the informal market, for $ 199. That’s how they get double the salary of companieswhich enters in dollars for the export of services at the official price of $ 110.

“Freelancers” exported services worth US $ 1,800 million (some speak up to US $ 2,000 million), according to accounts made by Argencon, the chamber that brings together companies in the knowledge economy (EdC) or offers services.

These are “black” dollars, which are not in the statistics or in the formal circuit, but which representing 30% of exports measured by INDEC and reached US $ 6,442 million in 2021.

Those professionals who work alone abroad they pay fewer taxes and social charges that if they are employees of companies, they tell the entity.

Galeazzi makes sure this is a trend that is rising every month and estimates that this year, “ant” exports will reach US $ 2,400 millionagainst US $ 500 million estimated in 2020.

This situation affects companies some facades. Una, they lost their most qualified employees (those that can be taken by foreign companies). That bleeding now 30% and up to 40% rotation of technology workers. Is he twice the average to similar companies around the world.

“I mean, there are companies like that within three years they had to renew their entire campus“, said Luis Galeazzi, from Argencon.

One year and a half per company

Companies have lost senior workers and are forced to hire juniors and train them. “And when they’re trained, they leave,” he said. The average stay is 1 year and a half.

So to keep them they are forced to raise their salaries. Last year, wage increases in the sector reached 70% in some cases. Y cost increase.

“The combined impact of the official dollar exchange rate delay (it only rose 20% in 2021) and the wage extreme heat has determined that, in most industries, the same service has become more expensive in dollars in a range that rotates between 25 and 45%comparing its value between January and December, ”Argencon said in its annual report.

For the software development business, on average, the price increase was 35.8%.

Galeazzi argues that these price increases are departure to Argentina in international business, especially services with less added value, which are more cost -dependent, and involve junior jobs. Even the country is still competing with more sophisticated services.

“The world’s demand is so great that Argentine companies still have a place despite all these problems. The sector is growing by 20% annually in the world,” he said.

Argencon turned to the Government to see how to limit this loss of employees, who no longer knew how to woo. They suggested – copying a similar advantage that car companies have – that the Central Bank allows you to freely throw away a portion of the dollars of exports to pay wages on banknotes.

This measure was advanced by the Ministries of Economy and Productive Development, but locked in the Central Bank, Galeazzi account.

In favor of the sector, the leader said that the EoC no import required to increase exports and generate more foreign currency in the country. And global demand does not stop.

Despite rising costs and brain drain, in 2021 the sector exports grew by 14% and this is the first increase since 2017, cutting into a cycle of collapse that lasted three years.

Exports for the fourth quarter of 2021 were the second best record in history, only surpassed those in 2011.

Nearly 454,000 people work in the EoC sector, a historic maximum that marks an increase of 7.9% compared to 2020 and represents 7.35% of national private employment. In total, 45% are engaged in export services.

NE