The Declining Open Unemployment In West Java Is The Second Highest In Indonesia

A number of job seekers visited the Jakarta Job Fair job exchange exhibition at the Cililitan Wholesale Center (PGC), Jakarta/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Head of the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office, Rachmat Taufik Garsadi, said the decline in the open unemployment rate (TPT) in his area was the second highest at the national level.

The latest data from BPS, August 2022, TPT in West Java was 8.31 percent or down by 1.51 percentage points compared to August 2021 of 9.82 percent. The decline is higher than the national data.

"West Java's unemployment rate is dropping but cannot move as fast as other provinces. This is because West Java has many job opportunities but there are also many applicants," said Rachmat Taufik Garsadi in a written statement, Antara, Monday, February 20.

Previously, the West Java Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that the open unemployment rate (TPT) in West Java was decreasing every year.

Meanwhile, in national data, in August 2022, TPT only fell by 0.63 percent compared to August 2021.

"There is a lot of information on job vacancies in West Java, but many job applicants come from outside West Java," he said.

On the other hand, the total workforce in August 2022 was 25.58 million people, up 0.84 million people compared to August 2021. The labor force participation rate (TPAK) rose 1.20 percentage points from 64.95 percent to 66.15 percent.

The working population is 23.45 million people, an increase of 1.14 million people from August 2021.

Based on the August 2022 BPS Sakernas results, the three jobs that absorbed the most workers in West Java were wholesale and retail trade, repair, and maintenance of cars and motorbikes at 23.19 percent.

The processing industry is 19.29 percent and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are 15.29 percent.

As many as 10.64 million people (45.39 percent) work in formal activities, an increase of 0.51 million people compared to August 2021. Most of the open unemployment in West Java is due to the impact of COVID-19. There are still 1.02 million people of working age who are affected by COVID-19.

Consisting of the unemployed due to COVID-19 (0.08 million people), not the labor force (BAK) due to COVID-19 (0.09 million people), temporarily unemployed due to COVID-19 (0.03 million people).

Then, most of them are still working but have experienced reduced working hours due to COVID-19 (0.82 million people).

National BPS data, there are 4.15 million people of working age who are affected by COVID-19.