BPS: 6 out of 100 Workers in Jakarta are Unemployed

Illustration of workers in Jabodetabek (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) DKI Jakarta recorded the number of unemployed in the capital city reached 333,86 thousand people. This figure is based on the National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) in February 2026.

This number is slightly down compared to February 2025. The decline in the open unemployment rate (TPT) was recorded at 0.15 percentage points compared to the previous year.

"The Jakarta TPT result of the February 2026 Sakernas is 6.03 percent. This means that out of 100 people in the labor force, there are about six unemployed people," said Head of BPS DKI Jakarta Kadarmanto in his statement, quoted Wednesday, May 6.

The TPT gap is still visible if viewed based on gender. In February 2026, the male TPT was 6.54 percent, higher than the female TPT which was 5.28 percent.

In terms of education, graduates of general high schools are still the group with the highest unemployment rate. This condition shows that the absorption of labor for graduates of secondary education is not optimal.

"In February 2026, the TPT graduation from general high schools is the highest compared to other levels of education, namely 7.58 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, the lowest unemployment rate was recorded by graduates of Diploma I/II/III at 3.58 percent. As for SMK graduates, the TPT was recorded at 8.15 percent, followed by universities at 3.79 percent, elementary schools below 5.32 percent, and junior high schools at 3.87 percent.

In the midst of this dynamic, the number of the workforce in Jakarta actually increased. The total workforce reached 5.53 million people, with 5.20 million of them working.

When compared to February 2025, the number of the workforce increased by 57,64 thousand people, while the number of working population increased by 62,18 thousand people. On the other hand, the number of unemployed people decreased by 4,54 thousand people.

Community participation in the labor market also experienced a slight increase. This is reflected in the labor force participation rate (TPAK). TPAK in February 2026 was 65.48 percent, up 0.08 percentage points from February 2025.

However, the participation gap between men and women is still quite wide. TPAK men were recorded at 78.83 percent, far above the women's 52.26 percent.

From the business field, the trade sector is still the main support for absorbing labor in Jakarta. This structure shows the dominance of the service sector in the capital's economy.

"Large and retail trade are the largest business fields, contributing 22.40 percent," said Kadarmanto.

In addition, the accommodation and food and beverage sector absorbed 13.28 percent of the workforce, transportation and storage 11.85 percent, processing industry 10.74 percent, and other service activities 10.53 percent.

Meanwhile, the majority of workers in Jakarta are still laborers or employees. The proportion reaches more than half of the total working population. In February 2026, the most working population in Jakarta is in the status of laborers/employees/employees, namely 57.91 percent.

However, the share of formal workers actually experienced a slight decline. Of the total workers, as many as 3.22 million people or 61.87 percent work in the formal sector, while 38.13 percent are in the informal sector.