TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, dismisses the complaints of those facing difficulty finding jobs in the country. He urges them to improve themselves and be grateful for the job opportunities the government is providing.
According to Bahlil, the Indonesian government is focusing on two strategic sectors, namely oil lifting and industrial downstreaming, with potential employment of up to 6.2 million workers by 2030.
"We must reflect upon ourselves if talks about the lack of job opportunities remain present. Let's not become ungrateful," Bahlil said during the Human Capital Summit 2025 at JCC Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Bahlil also encourages the Indonesian people to improve themselves in order to compete in the ever-evolving job market. Job seekers, he remarks, must equip themselves with relevant skills.
Aside from public complaints, Bahlil also addresses the role of higher education. According to the minister, numerous universities in Indonesia are struggling to keep up with the dynamic nature of the job market. Thus, reforms are needed for universities to produce graduates who are ready to enter the industry.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Indonesia ranks third as the country with the highest unemployment rate in Asia, after Pakistan and China. The IMF projects the unemployment rate in Indonesia to reach 5 percent this year. Over the next three years, the number of unemployed people is predicted to increase by 0.1 percent.
Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the total labor force in Indonesia has increased by 3.67 million to reach 153.05 million this year, but not all are absorbed into the job market. Currently, the number of unemployed has increased by 0.08 percent y-o-y, reaching 7.28 million people.
Senior economist of the Bright Institute, Awalil Rizky, previously highlighted the slight increase in the Job Availability Index to 101.6 in April 2025 from 100.3 in March 2025. The Job Availability Index is one of the components in the Current Economic Conditions Index (IKE) that reflects consumer assessment of the current conditions compared to six months ago.
Awalil argued that despite the increase in the Job Availability Index, its position remains low. The index position of 100.3 in March 2025 is the lowest in 2 years. "Thus, it seems that the people are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs," Awalil said in a written statement, quoted on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Riani Sanusi Putri and Anastasya Lavenia contributed to the writing of this article.
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