Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's unemployed population is shrinking, but the average monthly wage of the country's workers stands at only Rp 3.29 million (roughly $189), according to government data.

Indonesia's open unemployment rate reached 4.68%, or equal to 7.24 million people, in February 2026, the official statistics bureau BPS reported. The open unemployment rate refers to people who are still looking for jobs. The group also takes into account those who are hopeless in their job hunt and those who have not yet had their first day in the office. The latest figure marked a yearly decline, as the open unemployment rate fell to 4.76%, or around 7.28 million people, in February 2025.

"The decline in the unemployed population is happening for both men and women, regardless of where they are, whether it is in the cities or villages," BPS chief Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti told a press briefing in Jakarta.

Nearly 1.9 million Indonesians found jobs within a year as of February 2026. This brought the total employed group to 147.67 million people.

However, the full report showed that the average Indonesian is only bringing Rp 3.29 million home. There is quite a wide gender pay gap in populous Indonesia. An Indonesian male earns around Rp 3.55 million ($203.59), much higher than the Rp 2.80 million ($160.58) paycheck for women. Even so, it's harder for Indonesian men to find jobs than for women. The male unemployment rate is at 4.88% versus the female's 4.36%.

Despite the harrowing figures, Indonesia revealed that same day that its economy had expanded 5.61% year-on-year (yoy) in the first quarter of 2026, beating some of its G20 peers and analysts' expectations. Senior minister Airlangga Hartarto also told the press later that day that the decline in the jobless "could improve the quality of the national economic growth".

Indonesia has set a growth target of 5.4% yoy for 2026.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/business/indonesias-unemployed-population-shrinks-but-average-pay-only-18