BPS Reports Unemployment Down to 7.35 Million People

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) reported that Indonesia's employment conditions for the period November 2025 showed a significant strengthening trend. This is marked by an increase in the number of employed people and a decrease in the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) as the national formal sector strengthens.

The head of Indonesia's Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, stated that the national labor force as of November 2025 now reaches 155.27 million people. This figure represents a growth of 1.26 million people compared to the position in August 2025.

This increase in the labour force is accompanied by a consistent decline in the unemployment rate over the past three months. According to the latest data, the number of unemployed people in Indonesia is recorded at 7.35 million.

"During the period from August 2025 to November 2025, or in other words, in November 2025, there were 7.35 million unemployed people, which is equivalent to an open unemployment rate that decreased to 4.74 percent," Amalia stated during an online press conference in Jakarta on Thursday 5 February 2026.

In addition to the decline in unemployment, BPS also highlighted improvements in the quality of employment. Currently, the number of full-time workers has reached 100.5 million people. The proportion of the formal sector has also crept up to 42.30 percent, driven by an increase in the number of people working as labourers, employees, and staff.

Regarding the distribution of business fields, key sectors remain the main backbone in absorbing labor in the country. "The three business fields that absorb the most labor are the agricultural, trade, and manufacturing sectors," Amalia said.

Furthermore, the accommodation and food and beverage sectors recorded outstanding performance with the highest increase in labor absorption, reaching 381,000 people. This positive trend also extended to educational backgrounds, where the proportion of employed individuals with junior high school and vocational high school diplomas showed a steady increase during the period from August to November 2025.