Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded Indonesia's total number of unemployed individuals in August 2025 at 7.46 million people, with the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) standing at 4.85 percent. The highest TPT figure, when categorized by education level, was found among Vocational High School (SMK) graduates.Moh. Edy Mahmud, Deputy of Balance and Statistical Analysis at BPS, stated that the August 2025 figure is lower compared to the same period in 2024, which recorded 7.47 million unemployed individuals and a TPT value of 4.91 percent. "This figure is lower compared to the same period the previous year," he said during a press conference at the BPS headquarters in Jakarta on November 5, 2025.In August 2025, the TPT decreased by 0.06 percent compared to August 2024. The Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) is an indicator used to measure the proportion of the labor force that is not absorbed by the labor market, thus depicting the underutilization of labor supply.The results of the National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) show that an open unemployment rate of 4.85 percent means there are approximately five unemployed individuals out of every 100 people in the labor force.Unemployment by Area and AgeBased on residential areas, the TPT in urban areas reached 5.75 percent, significantly higher than the 3.47 percent TPT recorded in rural areas.In August 2025, the TPT for the young age group (15–24 years) was the highest, reaching 16.89 percent. Conversely, the TPT for the elderly age group (60 years and above) was the lowest, at 1.71 percent.Unemployment by Education LevelThe open unemployment rate for graduates of Vocational High Schools (SMK) reached 8.63 percent, remaining the highest among all educational levels. On the other hand, the lowest TPT was seen in individuals with an education level of primary school and below, at 2.30 percent.Although unemployment in August 2025 decreased compared to the previous year's figure, the number of unemployed individuals actually increased by 180 thousand compared to the Sakernas conducted in February 2025. In February 2025, the unemployment figure was 7.28 million with a TPT of 4.76 percent.Editor's Choice: Indonesia's Unemployment Rate Remains Highest in ASEAN in 2025Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
