Gen Z's Heartfelt Tears: Scrambling for Jobs, Unemployed for Years
In the midst of fierce job competition, not a few young people from Generation Z are facing the bitter reality of long-term unemployment despite having completed higher education, even abroad. Some of them are now surviving through freelance work with uncertain incomes.
Kelvin is one portrait of this condition. He studied abroad before returning to Indonesia during the Covid-19 pandemic. His interrupted studies were then continued until he graduated in 2024. However, after completing his education, the path to formal employment has not opened up.
“I previously studied abroad at Melbourne University, then in 2020 because of Covid, I returned to Indonesia and continued at IKJ (Jakarta Institute of the Arts), graduating in 2024. After that, I haven’t found a permanent job, just freelancing in the creative industry,” said Kelvin when met at the Mega Career Expo Jobstreet at the SMESCO Building, Jakarta, on Friday (17/4/2026).
The choice to work freelance in the creative industry became the only way to survive, though it has not yet replaced the stability of permanent employment.
A similar story comes from Sarah. Graduating in 2020, she worked for four years at an agency. However, the deteriorating company condition forced her to lose her job. Since then, she has been back to square one, job hunting in a much tighter competition.
“I actually graduated in 2020. I worked at an agency for 4 years, but because the company was in difficulty, I was fired. So from 2024, I’ve been unemployed; it’s really hard to find a job in my position. Because for fresh graduate openings, I can’t apply anymore, but for experienced positions, I often lose the competition,” said Sarah.
The awkward position of no longer being considered a fresh graduate or new alumnus, yet not strong enough to compete at the experienced level, has narrowed job opportunities even further. Sarah admitted to having tried various vacancies and gone through many selection stages, but the results were still nil.
“I’ve done many job openings and work tests, but so far, no calls. There was a glimmer of hope, almost accepted at that time, but I still lost the competition,” she revealed.
Amid these limitations, Sarah now relies on freelance work in the arts field. However, the income obtained is far from sufficient to meet living needs.
“Because I’m in the arts field, I’m freelancing now, but even that doesn’t profit much; a month at most only 1-2 orders, not much, just hundreds of thousands in profit. (Here) I’m looking for job openings in digital marketing or social media specialist,” she explained.
The stories of Kelvin and Sarah depict the reality now faced by many Gen Z individuals, where higher education and work experience no longer guarantee easy access to employment.
In the increasingly competitive job market, some of them are trapped in a prolonged phase of unemployment, while continuously trying to survive with available opportunities.