Indonesia's Unemployment Rate Reaches 7.20 Million People, BPS: Lower Before The Pandemic

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that the open unemployment rate or TPT in February 2024 was lower than during the COVID-19 pandemic or in February 2020.

It is known that 7.20 million people are unemployed in Indonesia in February 2024. This number is equivalent to TPT of 4.82 percent.

"This figure is lower when compared to the same period the previous year and even lower than the unemployment rate before the COVID-19 pandemic, which in February 2020 was 4.94 percent," said Acting Head of BPS Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti in a BPS release, Monday, May 6.

Amalia explained that the decline in the open unemployment rate occurred, both in the male and female population. Based on the exposure data, in February 2024 TPT, women were 4.60 percent and men were 4.96 percent.

This figure is lower than February 2023, where the women's TPT is 4.86 percent and the men are 5.83 percent.

"The decline in the open unemployment rate is consistent, both in the population of men and women as well as in urban and rural areas. All of them are lower than before the pandemic or in February 2020," he said.

Furthermore, said Amalia, compared to February 2023, all business fields experienced an increase in the number of workers.

In this case, the three business fields with the highest number of workers are agriculture, trade and processing industries.

"In the past year, the three business fields can absorb around 0.03 million, 0.85 million and 0.05 million workers," he said.

As for the past year, he continued, the business fields that absorb the most workers are food and beverage accommodation, trade and government administration.

"Each of them is able to absorb around 0.96 million, 0.85 million and 0.76 million workers," he added.