Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Rising staple food prices have overtaken fears of job termination as the biggest source of public anxiety in Indonesia, according to a new study released by research firms Inventure and Alvara Research Center.

Inventure Managing Partner Yuswohady said the economic pressure felt by households is increasingly driven by the higher cost of living rather than instability in employment

"What consumers worry about the most today is the rise in the prices of staple goods," he said during a discussion in South Jakarta on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

The survey was conducted among 600 respondents, most of them millennial workers from both private companies and state-owned enterprises (BUMN), representing middle and upper-middle income groups in urban areas.

The respondents were asked to compare their economic and financial conditions over the past six months.

A total of 37 percent cited increasing staple food prices as their primary concern. Yuswohady explained that the growing financial burden is partly linked to rising demand generated by national social assistance programs, such as the government's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative, which has contributed to upward price pressures in some commodities.

Meanwhile, income stagnation also remains a widespread issue. Fifty-five percent of respondents said their income had not changed but remained sufficient to cover living expenses.

However, 14 percent reported their income remained flat while costs continued to rise, creating a direct strain on household finances.

The study emphasized that this gap between incomes and expenditures has pushed many families to tighten budgets and reevaluate spending priorities. Even those with stable earnings are now compelled to take a more cautious approach to financial management.

While concerns over layoffs persist, they rank lower in comparison. The study found that 16 percent of respondents fear job termination, particularly those employed in sectors exposed to economic volatility and digital disruption.

These anxiety factors, according to the researchers, are creating a layered sense of insecurity among Indonesia's middle class.

"The combination of rising prices and employment uncertainty is forcing people to adjust both their financial behavior and lifestyle," Yuswohady said.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2072343/survey-indonesians-more-worried-about-price-hikes-than-job-layoff