Access to employment is one of the most fundamental rights, a guarantee of dignity and an essential means of subsistence for every human being. However, in a post-conflict country marked by poverty and low school enrolment, access to this essential right remains a distant goal. The Guatemalan labor market is almost entirely dependent on the informal economy, and the few formal jobs available are under constant threat from labor flexibility. Non-compliance with labor legislation, the weakness of labor-related institutions and the partisan politicization of access to employment exacerbate the job crisis. These problems are at the root of phenomena such as rampant crime and mass migration.