Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – A latest consumer survey by Bank Indonesia (BI) indicates growing public optimism over job availability in the country. The Index of Job Availability (IKLK) reached 109.9 in January 2026, up from 106.5 in the previous month.
"Respondents' perceptions of job availability improved. Across all education levels, the index recorded an increase, with the highest level seen among respondents holding university degrees," BI said in its Consumer Survey released on Monday, February 9, 2026.
The IKLK for respondents with graduate-level education increased from 117 in December 2025 to 120.4 in January 2026. The index for those with a high school education rose to 106.4, while respondents with academy or diploma qualifications and postgraduate degrees recorded scores of 113.9 and 118.7, respectively.
BI noted that these education groups had already been in the optimistic zone, defined as an index above 100, in the previous month.
Optimism also improved across most age groups. However, respondents aged 51 and above remained in the pessimistic zone, with an index below 100.
BI data show that job availability perceptions stayed in the optimistic zone from January to April 2025. The index then slipped into pessimistic territory for five consecutive months between May and September 2025, before rebounding above the 100 mark in October and remaining optimistic into early 2026.
Meanwhile, consumer expectations for job availability over the next six months are expected to remain relatively stable. This is reflected in the Index of Job Availability Expectations (IEKLK), which stood at 135.1 in January, unchanged from the previous month.
Expectations improved among respondents with graduate and postgraduate education backgrounds, with the highest expectation index recorded among postgraduates at 150.7.
In contrast, expectation levels declined among respondents with high school and academy or diploma education backgrounds.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2086294/bi-survey-indonesians-increasingly-optimistic-about-job-availabilit