BPS: Unemployment Still Dominated by High School and Vocational School Graduates

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The structure of unemployment in Indonesia still shows a strong pattern based on education levels. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) indicates that education levels not only influence job opportunities but also determine an individual’s vulnerability to unemployment. In February 2026, BPS recorded an Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) of 4.68%. From a total workforce of 154.91 million people, around 7.24 million remain unabsorbed by the labour market. Annually, the number of unemployed decreased by about 35,000 people compared to February 2025. However, a deeper look based on education levels reveals that the decline is uneven and leaves structural challenges in the labour market. BPS notes that the highest unemployment rate still comes from vocational secondary school (SMK) graduates. In February 2026, the TPT for SMK graduates reached 7.74%, the highest compared to other education levels. Diploma I/II/III graduates have an unemployment rate of 4.80%, relatively lower than the secondary education group. Meanwhile, the lowest unemployment rate is found in the primary school and below group, at 2.32%. This pattern shows that higher education does not always directly correlate with greater job opportunities. BPS records that this pattern has been relatively consistent in recent years. “When viewed by the highest education completed, the TPT has a nearly identical pattern from February 2024 to February 2026,” BPS states. In addition to the unemployment rate, the distribution of the number of unemployed also shows a different picture.