Open Unemployment in Central Java Reaches 960,000 as of May 2026

The Central Java Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has reported that the number of open unemployed in the province reached 960,000 as of May 2026, marking an increase of 15,530 individuals compared to February 2026. BPS Central Java Head Ali Said stated that based on the May 2026 National Labour Force Survey (Sakernas), the working-age population in Central Java totalled 30.3 million people, an increase of 87,620 from February 2026. Of this figure, 22.36 million were classified as the labour force, with the remainder not in the labour force. The labour force comprised 21.4 million employed individuals and 0.96 million unemployed. Compared to February 2026, the labour force grew by 31,900 people, with the number of employed persons increasing by 16,360 and the number of unemployed rising by 15,530. According to the Sakernas data, the three sectors with the highest labour absorption in Central Java were agriculture, fisheries, and forestry at 27.42 percent, manufacturing at 20.77 percent, and wholesale and retail trade at 16.63 percent. BPS Central Java noted that 35.80 percent of the working population were labourers or employees, while only 3.20 percent were self-employed with permanent paid workers. Ali explained that the working population could be divided into formal and informal categories, with 39 percent in formal activities and 61 percent in informal activities. During the February to May 2026 period, the number of people working in the formal sector increased by 5,960. In terms of educational attainment, the majority of the working population, 41.26 percent or approximately 8.83 million people, were elementary school graduates or below. Only 10.38 percent of the working population held higher education qualifications, comprising 8.11 percent with university degrees (Diploma IV, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral) and 2.27 percent with Diplomas I, II, or III.