BPS Reports Number of Unemployed Decreases to 7.24 Million People
The number of unemployed people in Indonesia reached 7.24 million in February 2026, out of a total labour force of 154.91 million people.
This figure decreased by approximately 35,000 people compared to the same period in the previous year.
“The labour force not absorbed by the job market became unemployed, totalling 7.24 million people, which represents a decrease of 35,000 people compared to February 2025,” said BPS Chief Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the number of working people in February 2026 was recorded at 147.67 million.
Amalia explained that the decline in unemployment is reflected in the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT), which stood at 4.68% in February 2026, down 0.08 percentage points from February 2025.
By region, the TPT in urban areas was 5.60%, down from 5.73% in February 2025. In rural areas, it was 3.20%, lower than 3.33% in the same period last year.
Furthermore, Amalia stated that labour absorption so far is still dominated by the agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, and industry sectors, which together absorb 60.29% of the national workforce.
In addition, the number of people working in both formal and informal sectors increased from February 2025 to February 2026.
Formal workers rose from 59.19 million to 59.93 million, while informal workers increased from 86.58 million to 87.74 million.
For information, according to the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a person working at least one hour in a week is already categorised as a working person.
BPS divides working people into three categories: full-time workers (at least 35 hours per week), part-time workers (less than 35 hours per week and not seeking other work), and underemployed (working 1-34 hours per week and still seeking or willing to accept additional work).
In February 2026, the proportion of full-time workers was 66.77%, part-time workers 25.97%, and underemployed 7.27%. The proportion of full-time workers increased compared to February 2025, which was 66.19%.