8 ▁President ▁Fernández ▁de ▁Kirch ner ▁national ised ▁private ▁p ension ▁funds ▁for ▁almost ▁$ 3 0 ▁billion , ▁ost ens ibly ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁p ensions ▁from ▁falling ▁stock ▁prices ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁although ▁critics ▁said ▁the ▁government ▁simply ▁wanted ▁to ▁add ▁the ▁money ▁to ▁its ▁budget . ▁Private ▁p ension ▁funds , ▁which ▁were ▁first ▁lic ensed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁suffered ▁large ▁losses ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 – 2 0 0 2 ▁crisis ▁and ▁by ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁state ▁subs id ized ▁ 7 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁funds ' ▁benef ici aries . ▁ ▁The ▁late - 2 0 0 0 s ▁re cess ion ▁hit ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁with ▁G DP ▁growth ▁slow ing ▁to ▁ 0 . 8 %. ▁High ▁G DP ▁growth ▁res umed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁and ▁the ▁economy ▁expanded ▁by ▁ 8 . 5 %. ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Econom y ▁Minister ▁Am ado ▁B oud ou ▁prepared ▁a ▁deb t ▁swap ▁package ▁for ▁the ▁hold ers ▁of ▁over ▁US $ 1 8 ▁billion ▁in ▁b onds ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Argent ine ▁deb t ▁rest ruct uring . ▁In ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁largest ▁new ▁natural ▁gas ▁depos its ▁in ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁were ▁discovered ▁in ▁Neu qu én ▁Province . ▁The ▁un emp loyment ▁rate