BPS Reports Increase in Workforce Absorption in May 2026

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has released its latest employment figures, showing that the number of employed people in Indonesia reached 148.19 million in May 2026, an increase of approximately 522,000 compared to February 2026. The business sectors absorbing the most workers during this period were Accommodation and Food and Beverage Services, which added around 195,000 people, followed by Transportation and Warehousing with 121,000 people, and Other Services with 110,000 people. “This is in line with the strong growth of these three business sectors in the second quarter of 2026,” said BPS Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (5/8/2026). In its economic growth release for the second quarter of 2026, conducted simultaneously, BPS noted that these three sectors grew robustly above the national figure, at 10.60%, 5.65%, and 6.36% respectively. Meanwhile, the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) in May 2026 was recorded at 4.65%. “Out of a total labour force of 155.41 million people, 7.22 million remain unemployed. However, the absolute number of unemployed people fell by 24,000 during the February to May 2026 period,” Amalia concluded.