Farabi El Fouz: West Java's High Layoff Rate Requires Concrete Action

A member of the West Java Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) Commission V, Farabi El Fouz, believes the high number of layoffs in West Java must be addressed with concrete and collaborative steps to prevent its impact on the economy and public welfare from spreading further. Based on data from the Ministry of Manpower, West Java became the province with the highest number of layoffs in Indonesia during the period from January to June 2026. A total of 6,727 workers in West Java lost their jobs, representing approximately 20.77 percent of the 32,389 workers laid off nationally. According to Farabi, this data is a shared concern considering West Java is one of the largest manufacturing industry centres in Indonesia, absorbing millions of workers. Therefore, anticipatory measures are needed to prevent the wave of layoffs from continuing. “This high number of layoffs must be a serious concern for all parties. The regional government, central government, business actors, and labour unions need to sit together to find solutions so that the business world can survive while workers’ rights remain protected,” Farabi said on Monday (20/7/2026). Farabi encouraged the West Java Provincial Government to strengthen coordination with district and city governments to map the industrial sectors under pressure. With this mapping, policies can be more targeted, both in preventing layoffs and in assisting workers who have lost their jobs. Furthermore, Farabi pushed for the strengthening of vocational training, reskilling, and upskilling programmes tailored to current industry needs. According to him, improving competence is a crucial effort to ensure that workers affected by layoffs have a greater chance of returning to work or starting their own businesses. “Workers who are laid off should not be left unemployed for a long time. The government must accelerate training programmes and expand access to job placement so they can immediately get new opportunities,” he said. Farabi also hopes that investment entering West Java will have a direct impact on job creation for local communities. He believes a conducive investment climate must be maintained so that the business world can grow and absorb more workers. He stressed that the West Java DPRD will continue to exercise its oversight function on labour policies so that the programmes prepared by the government truly meet the needs of the people. “The hope is that the layoff rate can be suppressed, the business world continues to grow, and the welfare of workers in West Java can be maintained through appropriate and sustainable policies,” Farabi said.