Unemployment Rate Rises in Aceh, Central Java, and Papua

The national Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) in Indonesia fell to 4.65% in May 2026, down from 4.68% in February 2026, according to the latest National Labour Force Survey (Sakernas) released by Statistics Indonesia (BPS). This means approximately five out of every 100 people in the labour force are unemployed. The TPT for men stood at 4.85%, higher than the 4.32% recorded for women, with both figures declining compared to February 2026. Urban areas posted a higher unemployment rate of 5.54% compared to 3.15% in rural areas. Despite the national decline, several provinces saw their unemployment rates increase. Aceh rose to 5.89% from 5.88%, North Sumatra to 5.03% from 5.01%, and West Sumatra to 5.53% from 5.51%. In Java, Central Java’s rate climbed to 4.30% from 4.24%, while Yogyakarta increased to 3.11% from 3.05%. Eastern Indonesia also recorded rises, with Papua reaching 7.08% from 7.02%, West Papua to 4.19% from 4.10%, and South Papua to 5.29% from 5.25%. Conversely, several provinces recorded declines, including Jakarta, which fell to 5.79% from 6.03%, and Banten, which dropped to 6.48% from 6.59%. Bali maintained the lowest unemployment rate nationally at 1.52%. By education level, vocational high school (SMK) graduates faced the highest unemployment rate at 7.68%, while those with primary school education or below had the lowest rate at 2.31%.