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Desperate Unemployment in Indonesia, Mainly From Low Education Levels

Adi Ahdiat 30/04/2026 17:38 WIB

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According to research by LPEM FEB UI, the majority of unemployed people in Indonesia who are desperate are primary school graduates or lower.

The Proportion of Desperate Unemployed in Indonesia Based on Education Level (February 2025)

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Desperate Unemployment in Indonesia, Mainly From Low Education Levels

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The Proportion of Desperate Unemployed in Indonesia Based on Education Level (February 2025)

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"Desperate unemployed" are people who are not working and not looking for work because they feel it's impossible to get a job.

According to research by LPEM FEB UI, in February 2025, there were about 1.87 million desperate unemployed people in Indonesia.

Most, or 50.07%, of the desperate unemployed are elementary school graduates or those who did not graduate from elementary school.

There are also quite a few who are junior high school and high school graduates. Meanwhile, there are fewer graduates from vocational schools, diploma programs, bachelor's degrees, and master's or doctoral degrees, as can be seen in the graph.

"This figure indicates that the structural barriers experienced by low-educated groups are much deeper than just a lack of job opportunities," said a researcher at LPEM FEB UI in the report "Reading the Signals of Despair in the Indonesian Labor Market" (November 2025).

"They face a combination of basic skill limitations, less access to job market information, and very limited upward mobility opportunities," he continued.

LPEM FEB UI also noted that, unlike low-educated groups who are structurally hindered, college graduates can become desperate unemployed due to different factors.

These factors include unmet wage expectations, mismatch between fields of study and job opportunities, and perceptions of age discrimination in recruitment.

"This phenomenon shows that despair is not a monopoly of low-educated groups, but can arise when the promise of upward mobility from higher education does not materialize," they said.

Editor : Adi Ahdiat

"Disclosure: This is an AI-generated translation of the original article. We strive for accuracy, but please note that automated translations may contain errors or slight inconsistencies."