Degrees of Unemployment

(9/16/2012)

According to the Bali Post, data released in August 2012 recorded 4,851 unemployed workers living in Bali’s capital of Denpasar.

Labor Office data shows that 58.57% of the unemployed hold a tertiary degree.

The head of the labor office (Disnakertansos) in Denpasar, Made Erwin Suryadarma Sena, told the press that it would be impossible to completely eliminate unemployment. He said a constant, cyclical stream of new job seekers always outpaces the number of new positions for job seekers.

At the same time, Suryadarma said his department managed to reduce unemployment levels. In 2011, he said a total of 5,500 unemployed was eventually reduced last year to 649 people.

Reflecting the problems of the uneducated seeking employment in Bali's capital, Suryadarma confirmed that his office has ceased even recording only those with grade school or junior high school educations because of the low number of positions available to the under-educated in both the private and public sectors.

The labor department chief said that tourism provides 60% of all job openings in Bali. This is followed by industry (20%); business-trade (15%); and the rest (5%) spread across the agricultural, insurance, banking and service sectors.

The labor department in Denpasar undertakes a three-prong approach to creating employment opportunities. The government provides training programs to meet market demands and instill an entrepreneurial spirit among job seekers; coordinates young job seekers placement overseas employment; and conducts job fairs.