Apindo Batam Says Investments Continue to Flow, Job Opportunities Remain Open
In the midst of a survey by the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) headquarters stating that 67% of companies are reluctant to recruit new employees, conditions in Batam show a different trend. The business world in this industrial area remains quite optimistic, in line with the strong flow of investments entering.
Chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association Batam, Rafki Rasyid, emphasised that job opportunities in Batam are still wide open. This is driven by a relatively stable and continuously developing investment climate.
“For Batam, there are still many open job vacancies. Because investments are still flowing strongly into Batam. So job opportunities are still open,” said Rafki on Wednesday (15/4).
He explained that Batam, as a free trade and industrial zone, remains a magnet for investors, especially in the manufacturing sector and other supporting industries. This situation differs from several other regions in Indonesia that are beginning to experience a slowdown in business expansion.
Nevertheless, Rafki did not deny that challenges still exist. The shift in investments from labour-intensive to capital-intensive sectors is starting to be felt, although it has not yet significantly disrupted employment absorption in Batam.
According to him, several companies are indeed beginning to increase efficiency and the use of technology, but the need for labour, especially in the manufacturing sector, remains quite high.
“There is indeed a tendency towards efficiency, but in Batam, it has not yet reached the stage of broadly hindering recruitment. The industries here still need workers,” he clarified.
He also assessed that the main factor making Batam remain competitive is the ease of investment, integrated industrial zones, and proximity to international markets such as Singapore and Malaysia.
However, Rafki warned that Batam’s competitiveness must continue to be maintained, particularly in terms of labour regulations, production costs, and legal certainty for investors.
Apindo Batam, he continued, continues to urge local and central governments to maintain a balance between labour protection and business flexibility, so that investments, especially in labour-intensive sectors, continue to grow.
“If the business climate remains conducive, investments will continue to enter, and that will automatically open up jobs,” he said.
Similar conditions are also evident from data from the Batam City Manpower Office. Based on data from the Batam City Manpower Office (Disnaker), the total number of job seekers from January to March 2026 was 6,163. Meanwhile, the absorption of local workers reached 2,474 job seekers.
Meanwhile, from January to December 2025, the number of job seekers reached 29,710 people. This figure increased compared to 2024, which recorded 24,690 people.
Head of the Batam City Manpower Office, Yudi Suprapto, said that the increase in the number of job seekers was influenced by several factors, ranging from the growth of the productive age population to the increasing interest of the community in working in the industrial and services sectors in Batam.
“Batam remains a destination for job seekers, both from within the region and from outside the region. This shows that Batam still has economic appeal,” said Yudi Suprapto.
From the data, the number of job seekers from Batam in 2025 was recorded at 27,064 people, while job seekers from outside Batam numbered 2,646 people. This figure experienced a significant increase compared to 2024, where local job seekers numbered 21,557 and those from outside 3,133 people.
Yudi explained that although the number of job seekers has increased, Disnaker also recorded thousands of available job opportunities. Throughout 2025, the total recorded job vacancies reached 18,528, relatively stable compared to 2024 which reached 18,718 vacancies.
“Job vacancies are actually quite plentiful, especially from the manufacturing, shipyard, electronics, and services sectors. However, the challenge is the match between company needs and the competencies of job seekers,” he clarified.
For workforce placement, Disnaker recorded that throughout 2025, 14,832 people were successfully placed in jobs, a decrease compared to 2024 which reached 17,593 people. This decline, according to Yudi, was influenced by company selectivity and increasingly tight competition.
“We continue to encourage job seekers to improve their competencies through training and certification. Currently, companies not only look at diplomas but also skills and work ethic,” he said.
On a monthly basis, the surge in job seekers in 2025 was seen in the May to July period, in line with the entry of new high school/vocational school and university graduates into the job market. Meanwhile, the highest placements occurred in the middle of the year, following the increasing production needs of industries.