Acting head of the Batam Manpower Office, Nurul Iswahyuni, said that as of July 2025, a total of 18,990 jobseekers, both from Batam and other regions, have registered with the office.
“This year, our target is to have 18 thousand job seekers placed. This aligns with the projected labor demand of 20 thousand job openings,” she informed in Batam on Thursday.
In 2024, around 24 thousand jobseekers were recorded, and 17 thousand of them found employment, based on reports submitted by companies, she added.
“Last year, about 7 thousand people remained unemployed. If we include carryovers from the previous year, there are around 8 thousand individuals still seeking work. We aim to focus on placing them this year,” she explained.
She noted that many jobseekers return to register after their contracts end, as most work agreements last only one to two years.
Therefore, she said, Batam’s manpower data is regularly updated and synchronized with that of other institutions, such as the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan), to ensure employment status accuracy.
“We are also encouraging companies to submit placement data by name and national ID number. This helps us verify and update our system more effectively,” she said.
Speaking about an ongoing job fair held by the Batam Manpower Office, Iswahyuni informed that some positions requiring high-level expertise and qualifications, such as a bachelor’s degree, remain vacant.
This, she said, is due to many Batam-born graduates who studied outside the region choosing to work elsewhere.
“We had hoped they would return to fill these vacancies. Industries in Batam are in great need of skilled workers, particularly in the technical sector,” she added.
She also encouraged companies to offer training opportunities to jobseekers to help them build the skills required by the industry.
“Even if they don’t fully meet the qualifications, these jobseekers can be coached and trained to be job-ready. We hope companies can help transfer knowledge to new workers,” Iswahyuni added.
Related news: Govt upgrading job training to match industry needs: minister
Related news: Govt fast-tracks job creation with cross-sectoral push
Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
