Millions without work despite lower joblessness

Labour troubles: Workers load tuna at a fishing port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Experts say the country’s definition of employment is out of date and distorts the number of people who are truly employed. — AFP

JAKARTA: The unemployment rate fell in February to its lowest point in decades despite reports on mass layoffs and weakening purchasing power in recent years, though critics suggest the statistics do not capture the real picture due to an overstretched definition of what constituted employment.

In its biannual employment survey published on Monday, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) revealed that the national unemployment rate had dropped to 4.76% in February, compared with 4.91% six months ago and 4.82% in February 2024.