Abstract

BOBER, Gabriel I  and  NEIMAN, Melina. Early labor markets incorporations: Agricultural young workers in the Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina. Trab. soc. [online]. 2011, n.16, pp.85-103. ISSN 1514-6871.

This article deals with the different ways that young workers in the Uco Valley, at the province of Mendoza, enter to the agrarian local labour market. During the last decadas, the Uco Valley based its pattern of agricultural development in an intensive business model of its three main crops: vineyards, orchards, and vegetables. Currently, it is undergoing a process of profound restructuring of production, mainly oriented towards foreign markets, which among different consequences has modified the functioning of local labour markets. In this article, we referred to the different situations that lead to youngsters to start working in this context, according to their age periods, the relationship with the size and structure of their families, and the socio-economic situation of the households to which they belong. Also, the links between household characteristics and the various ways youngsters start working according to the type of task in which they can work, as well as the use that they give to their labour incomes, is examined. Using in-depth interviews with young workers and key informants, we could account for preferences of young workers towards different types of tasks, with particular emphasis on certain occupations and the reasons for those preferences, and also how they view their future careers.

Keywords : Youngsters; Agrarian workers; Mendoza; Households.

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