Bengkulu's Open Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.65% in August 2021

The open unemployment rate (OUR) in Bengkulu decreased in the third quarter of 2021. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the rate was 0.07 percentage points lower than in the first quarter of 2021, falling from 3.72% to 3.65% in the third quarter of 2021.

This decrease in unemployment is partly due to economic growth in Bengkulu, supported by ongoing infrastructure development projects.

Specifically, the number of unemployed people in the province decreased by 4.09% to 38,745 individuals in August 2021 compared to February 2021. Meanwhile, the labor force shrank by 2.19% to 1.06 million people, and the number of employed people decreased by 2.12% to 1.02 million.

Compared to August 2020, Bengkulu's OUR also decreased by 0.42 percentage points. Specifically, the number of unemployed decreased by 13.05%, the labor force decreased by 1.43%, and the number of employed people decreased by 0.99%.

Bengkulu's labor force participation rate also decreased by 1.99 percentage points to 69.75% in August 2021 compared to 71.74% in February 2021. Similarly, the labor force participation rate decreased by 1.98 percentage points from 71.73% in August 2020.

In August 2021, 92,400 people, or 6.07% of the total working-age population, were affected by COVID-19. This includes 7,130 unemployed due to COVID-19, 3,070 who became inactive in the labor force, 6,040 temporarily unemployed, and 76,070 who experienced a reduction in working hours.