Indonesia Seeks to Leverage Demographic Dividend to Meet Global Workforce Needs

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government sees the country's demographic dividend as an opportunity to increase the placement of skilled Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in the global labor market. The opportunity comes amid growing demand for workers in several countries facing aging populations.

Minister of Migrant Worker Protection (P2MI), Mukhtarudin, said Indonesia currently has a large working-age population. He said this demographic advantage could serve as an important asset in meeting labor demands in countries experiencing shortages of productive workers.

According to him, global demographic changes are also reshaping the international labor market. Several countries in Europe and Asia are facing aging populations and therefore require additional workers from other countries.

“When we have an excess of productive workers, other countries are facing a shortage of productive workers. This is what forms the basis of cooperation between the President and several countries,” Mukhtarudin said at the kick-off of the SMK Go Global program in Jakarta, Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

He said such cooperation is aimed at creating opportunities for Indonesian workers with the necessary skills and competencies to work in countries facing labor shortages.

The government said these opportunities must be accompanied by efforts to improve the quality of Indonesian migrant workers. Prospective migrant workers need not only technical skills, but also language proficiency and an understanding of workplace culture in their destination countries.

“The government is also providing as many jobs as possible domestically, but for Indonesians who are interested in working abroad, we are also preparing the facilities, mechanisms, regulations, and procedures,” he said.

Through the SMK Go Global program, the government aims to prepare 500,000 skilled Indonesian migrant workers by 2029 to meet international labor market demands. The workers will be equipped to work professionally through safe and regulated placement channels.