Vocational High School Graduates Had the Highest Unemployment Rate in August 2016

In August 2016, the unemployment rate among Vocational High School (SMK) graduates was 11.11 percent, the highest among all educational levels. In contrast, the lowest unemployment rate, based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, was among elementary school (SD) graduates and below, at approximately 2.8 percent.

The high interest among Junior High School (SMP) students to continue their education at SMK, with the expectation of readily finding employment after graduation, proved unrealistic. In fact, SMK graduates constituted the largest group of unemployed due to a lack of job opportunities offered by the business sector.

National open unemployment in August 2016 reached approximately 5.61 percent, or 7.03 million people, out of a total workforce of 125.44 million individuals aged 15 and above. Urban unemployment was even higher, at 6.6 percent, compared to 4.51 percent in rural areas.