Jakarta, IndonesiaSentinel.com — Nearly 46,000 workers in Indonesia have been laid off since January 2024, according to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Manpower, Anwar Sanusi.
The data, covering the period from January through August 26, shows that 45,969 people have lost their jobs this year.
“We’ve observed monthly trends, from January to February, February to March, March to April, and April to May, with an average of 3,500 to 4,200 layoffs each month,” Sanusi said in an interview with VOA on Thursday, August 29, 2024.
The Ministry’s data reveals that the majority of layoffs occurred in Central Java, Banten, and West Java, with the manufacturing sector—particularly the textile industry—being the hardest hit.
As of August 26, the manufacturing sector, including textiles, accounted for 23,365 layoffs. Sanusi also noted that the number of layoffs between January and August this year is approximately 5,000 higher than during the same period in 2023.
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Sanusi emphasized that the government consistently mediates with companies to prevent layoffs whenever possible. However, when layoffs are unavoidable, the government strives to ensure that workers receive their rightful benefits and, if feasible, additional support or capital to help them find new employment or start their own businesses.
“For example, in the digital sector, like with Tokopedia and Shopee, when layoffs occurred, the companies provided laptops as part of a severance package, giving those workers tools to develop new skills or pursue other job opportunities,” he explained.
(Ray)
