Kaltara Three Major National Layoffs Early 2026, 46 Employees Lose Jobs

Acting Head of the Kaltara Labor and Manpower Office, H. Asnawi. (Victor Ratu VOI)

TANJUNG SELOR - North Kalimantan Province (Kaltara) was recorded as one of the three largest in the country in terms of the number of job termination (PHK) at the beginning of 2026. The latest data from the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) shows that as many as 46 workers in Kaltara lost their jobs throughout January 2026.

This number places Kaltara in third place nationally after West Java and South Sumatra, which each recorded 49 cases of layoffs, East Kalimantan (Kaltim) 35 workers affected and East Java 34 people.

Nationally, the Ministry of Manpower recorded a total of 359 workers who were laid off in January 2026. This data comes from workers' claims in the Job Loss Guarantee (JKP) program submitted through the Ready to Work application.

Acting Head of the Kaltara Manpower and Transmigration Service (Disnakertrans), Asnawi, said that the layoffs occurred due to various factors ranging from company efficiency to the end of the contract period.

"This layoff occurred because the company carried out efficiency, stopped business activities or the end of the labor agreement," said Asnawi, Friday (13/3/2026).

He explained, based on the search of the Provincial Manpower and Transmigration Agency for the five districts/cities in Kaltara, some of the layoffs came from subcontractor companies in Bulungan Regency who stopped the project because the work contract had expired and production had decreased.

"From the results of the investigation, it was found that there were several subcontractor companies in Bulungan who closed the project because the work contract had expired and production decreased," he explained.

Asnawi emphasized that every company that does layoffs must report it to the labor service at the district/city level.

"Companies that lay off workers are required to report to the labor service in the district or city," he said.

He added that the workers affected by the layoffs mostly came from subcontractor companies working in the Indonesian Industrial and International Port Area (KIPI) Tanah Kuning-Mangkupadi, East Tanjung Palas District, Bulungan Regency. In addition, there are also workers from the outsourcing sector in Tarakan City.

"Those affected by layoffs are part of the sub-contractors in KIPI and also the outsourcing workers in Tarakan," he said.

Asnawi admitted that the number of layoffs could potentially increase, especially in industrial areas whose construction projects are nearing the end of the contract period.

"It could increase, especially in KIPI because subcontract work is nearing the end of the contract," he said.

However, the local government hopes that the influx of new investment in Kaltara can open up new job opportunities for local workers.

"We can't avoid layoffs if the contract period between the sub-contractor and the core company ends. Hopefully there will be new investors who enter so that they can open new jobs for the community," he concluded.