"We will meet this challenge with serious work," he stated when met on Wednesday.
Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as quoted in the World Economic Outlook April 2025 Edition, projected Indonesia's unemployment rate to reach five percent in 2025, up from last year's 4.9 percent.
The IMF's calculation of the unemployment rate is based on the percentage of unemployed workers or job seekers.
Yassierli viewed this projection as input for the government to proactively seek relevant and sustainable solutions.
"We must be proactive in coordinating with each technical ministry and mapping the job opportunities. We will also continue to discuss this matter during cross-ministerial coordination meetings," he remarked.
The minister also highlighted the government's priority programs, such as the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative, which could generate significant job opportunities.
Additionally, he mentioned the Layoffs Task Force, which was expected to help address unemployment issues.
"The Layoffs Task Force is being finalized at the State Secretary's office. Several functions of the task force had actually begun operating. We are developing an early warning system for sectors at risk of layoffs. We are building coordination as well," he revealed.
Meanwhile, data from the National Labor Force Survey in February 2025 showed that the open unemployment rate in February 2025 was 4.76 percent, a decrease of 0.06 percentage points compared to February 2024.
Yassierli also considers this a challenge, as a new wave of workforce will enter the market in August, following the graduation of high school and vocational school students.
"August will be the challenge when high school and vocational school students graduate in June or July," he remarked.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Z, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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