Jakarta. More than 24,000 workers in Indonesia have been laid off as of May 2025, according to Manpower Minister Yassierli, marking nearly a third of the total layoffs recorded in 2024.

Speaking during a hearing with members of the House of Representatives' Commission XI, which oversees labor, social security, and health affairs on Monday, Yassierli said the layoffs have affected a wide range of sectors and are concentrated in three provinces: Central Java (10,692 workers), Jakarta (4,649), and Riau (3,546).

The hardest-hit sectors include manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and services.

“Companies are laying off employees due to losses, relocation in search of cheaper labor, industrial disputes, retaliatory action following strikes, or as part of efficiency measures,” Yassierli told lawmakers.

He noted that the largest number of layoffs in the past five years occurred in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when 386,877 workers lost their jobs. The number dropped to 127,085 in 2021, then fell further to 25,114 in 2022. However, layoffs began rising again in 2023 to 64,855 and reached 77,965 in 2024.

Yassierli also revealed plans to begin publishing monthly layoff statistics, similar to how the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) releases regular updates on trade and economic growth.

“With regular publication of layoff data, the government and other stakeholders can better anticipate labor market disruptions and proactively work to prevent layoffs or create new job opportunities,” he added.

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