Jakarta. The Manpower Ministry has issued a new directive banning discriminatory requirements in job recruitment, such as appearance, age, height, marital status, ethnicity, and skin color, in a move to foster a more inclusive labor market and reduce unemployment.

The regulation is outlined in Ministerial Circular No. M/6/HK.04/V/2025, which explicitly prohibits companies from listing non-essential personal attributes in job vacancy announcements.

Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel "Noel" Ebenezer said the policy aims to dismantle longstanding hiring practices that have hindered job seekers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“There will be no more ‘good-looking’ requirements to get a job,” Noel said during a televised interview on Friday. “These criteria are irrelevant and have become barriers to employment. It’s time to remove them.”

He stressed that such restrictions contribute to Indonesia’s persistent unemployment rate, which stands at 7.2 million people. The country also faces a significant challenge, with 24 million citizens still living in extreme poverty, according to recent data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Noel criticized the use of physical appearance and height requirements for positions that do not demand them. “Someone might feel disqualified because they don’t look attractive due to years working in agriculture or field labor. These biases discourage people who are trying to escape poverty,” he explained.

He also highlighted the adverse impact of rigid age limits, particularly the common maximum hiring age of 35. “Job seekers in their 40s or 50s often feel hopeless because of rules that don’t support them,” Noel said.

The ministry views this reform as part of a broader government effort to improve access to employment and promote social equity. Manpower Minister Yassierli said the circular is intended to enforce the government’s commitment to non-discriminatory principles and ensure fair and objective recruitment practices.

“This directive provides a clear guideline to companies to recruit based on skills and merit, not personal characteristics unrelated to the job,” Yassierli told reporters on Wednesday.

The ministry expects employers nationwide to immediately comply with the new hiring standard.

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