Reza Hery Pamungkas, Jakarta – Jakarta's open unemployment rate fell to 5.79% in May 2026 from 6.03% in February, as more workers secured full-time jobs, according to data released by the Jakarta office of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) on Wednesday.
The number of unemployed people in the capital declined by around 10,000 from 334,000 in February, while the number of full-time workers increased by about 139,000 to 4.36 million.
"The labor force between February and May was largely absorbed into full-time employment," Jakarta BPS chief Kadarmanto said.
Part-time employment also rose by around 16,000 to 682,000, while the number of underemployed workers fell by about 91,000 to 225,000.
BPS defines full-time workers as those working at least 35 hours a week. Part-time workers also work fewer than 35 hours but are not seeking or willing to take additional work, while the underemployed are working less than 35 hours and remain available for more work.
Wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food services, and transportation and warehousing were the largest contributors to employment growth in the capital.
The improvement was seen across genders. The unemployment rate for men edged down to 6.43% in May from 6.54% in February, while the rate for women fell to 4.85% from 5.28%.
Nationally, Indonesia's labor market also improved, though at a more modest pace. The country's open unemployment rate eased to 4.65% in May from 4.68% in February, with the number of unemployed declining to 7.22 million from 7.24 million, according to BPS.
Indonesia's working-age population reached 220.23 million in May, while the labor force grew to 155.41 million. Total employment increased by 522,000 over the three months to 148.19 million, reflecting continued gains in labor market participation.