Despite Wave of Layoffs, 83% of Indonesian Workers Who Asked for a Pay Rise Got One
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Amid a wave of layoffs and an economic slowdown, the majority of Indonesian workers who asked for a pay rise got what they wanted. This is reflected in the Salary Pulse 2026 report from Jobstreet by SEEK, released on Tuesday (23/6/2026).
The report shows that 83% of workers who requested a salary increase successfully obtained the raise they desired, while only 11% of requests were rejected.
Managing Director of Jobstreet by SEEK Indonesia, Wisnu Dharmawan, explained that this trend occurs because companies find it cheaper to retain existing employees than to recruit new ones.
“If there is turnover or resignation, there is a cost. When someone resigns, the company has to find a replacement, and it is not guaranteed they will find one immediately,” Wisnu said during the presentation of the Salary Pulse 2026 report at the JobStreet Jakarta office on Monday (23/6/2026).
He noted that the costs arising from an employee’s departure are not limited to the recruitment process. Companies must also allocate time and resources for selection, interviews, and training for new hires.
Furthermore, there is a transition period between the old employee’s resignation and the new employee’s start date. Even after a new employee joins, productivity may not be immediately optimal as they need time to adapt and learn the job.
“There is also a cost to find a replacement. You might have to use a recruitment firm, post job advertisements, and then there is the interview process which requires time and resources,” he stated.
Consequently, companies often choose the more practical solution of granting salary increases to contributing employees rather than bearing the cost of workforce replacement.
“Compared to giving a pay rise to an employee, it seems simpler. Rather than having to absorb the cost for someone who resigns and then searching for their replacement,” Wisnu added.
The same report recorded that 64% of Indonesian workers have proactively asked their company for a pay rise. The majority of workers also admitted they feel comfortable initiating discussions about salary increases.
The Salary Pulse 2026 survey was conducted on 1,010 respondents in Indonesia and several other Asian countries in February 2026. The survey measures worker satisfaction with salaries, pay rises, and the attitudes of workers and companies regarding compensation.