Labor Asks BPS To Immediately Release The Latest Unemployment Rate: To Prove The Current Situation In Indonesia

Unemployment (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSBSI) has requested that the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) immediately release the latest data regarding the unemployment rate in Indonesia.

KSBSI President Elly Rosita Silaban assessed that this was necessary to confirm President Prabowo Subianto's statement regarding the decline in the unemployment rate in Indonesia.

"We have to say it's true, yes. This is, right, an institution that we really believe in, yes, it must be accessible freely to the public. So, why did they (BPS), in order to prove with this data the current situation that is happening in Indonesia," said Elly when met by VOI after the Commone Media event entitled "Industrial Decarbonization and Labor Challenges in Adapting the World of Work" in Jakarta, Tuesday, July 22.

Based on KSBSI data, said Elly, there were around 100,000 people affected by layoffs (PHK) from June 2024 to April 2025.

Therefore, he continued, the latest data from BPS is needed which claims the number of unemployed in Indonesia has dropped at this time.

"And if it can't be published and accessed, it's the same. So, people, certain people, NGOs or labor unions will say unemployment is still 100,000, you know, this. But, if for example BPS is the data and in this area it has opened up jobs," he said.

"So from the figure of 7.2 million, for example, now it has become 7 million or 6.9 million, but we clearly see it anywhere that is already in quotes, the unemployment is treated like that," he continued.

Thus, Elly said, the public can encourage the government to continue to open up jobs in the future.

"Only people can inform, believe and help the government to continue to encourage the opening of job opportunities as promised by them," he concluded.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto revealed that Indonesia's unemployment rate had fallen in 2025.

In addition to unemployment, the Head of State also said that the absolute poverty rate had decreased.

Unfortunately, the former Minister of Defense did not specify the reduction in poverty and unemployment.

"The head of BPS reported to me that the unemployment rate has decreased, the absolute poverty rate has decreased. This is BPS who talks," Prabowo said as quoted from the Indonesian Solidarity Party's YouTube channel, Tuesday, July 22.

As for the BPS report in May 2025, Indonesia's open unemployment rate (TPT) fell to 4.76 percent in February 2025, down 0.06 percent compared to February 2024.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's poverty data in the BPS report in May 2025 showed Indonesia's poverty rate as of September 2024 was 8.57 percent or around 24.08 million people, a decrease of 0.46 percent from May 2024.