29.86% of Jakarta's Elderly Population Remained Employed in 2020

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded 942,800 elderly people (elderly) in Jakarta in 2020. Of this number, 29.86% were still actively working, even though they were no longer of working age.

Based on gender, 40.45% of working elderly people in Jakarta were male. Meanwhile, 60.94% of working elderly people in the capital were female.

Several reasons influence elderly people to continue working. One is that they are still physically and mentally strong.

Another factor that makes elderly people work is economic pressure. Some elderly people also remain active to continue self-actualization or emotional fulfillment.

The work participation of elderly people is also influenced by their education level. The lower the education level of the elderly, the lower their participation in employment activities.

This is because elderly people with low education tend to have lower-paying jobs during their productive years. They, therefore, have to meet their needs by working in their old age.

According to BPS data, the proportion of elderly people who graduated from elementary school (SD) and are still working is 33.46%. The percentage is only 8.06% for elderly people who are graduates of D4/S1/S2/S3.

However, the percentage of working elderly people is not the highest in Jakarta. The majority, or 39.05%, of elderly people in Jakarta are engaged in household chores.

28.39% of elderly people in Jakarta are engaged in other activities. Meanwhile, only 2.7% of elderly people in the capital are unemployed or looking for work.