Measuring Development in the Employment Sector of Jambi Province

The development of the manpower sector is not only an issue regarding the reduction of the unemployment rate, but also the utilization of the workforce, equal distribution of employment opportunities, protection of workers and attention to the welfare of workers and their families.

These four things are the goals of development in the field of employment. In order to monitor the achievement of employment development in each province and to assess the success of the Regional Government in carrying out employment development, an Employment Development Index (GPA) has been prepared using 9 Main Indicators and 25 sub-indicators which are integrated with the SDGs. The hope is that development in the field of employment can also lead to sustainable development. Of the 25 sub-indicators used as a GPA measurement tool, 48 percent of them come from data from the National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) conducted by the Central Statistics Agency while the remaining 52 percent use data from the Provincial and Regency/Municipal Manpower Offices. City and data from the Employment Social Security Administration.

Measurement of the Employment Measurement Index (GPA) in 2021 using field data in 2020. The national GPA figure reached 61.33 or decreased by 6.3 points from the previous year which reached 67.63. This shows a decline in the performance of labor development which is quite high in the 2019-2020 period.

Where is the position of Jambi Province?

The Jambi Province Employment Development Index for 2021 reached 59.52 which means that the employment development performance is in the lower middle status (the same as the status of the achievement in the previous year). The GPA is categorized as high if it reaches 80 and above, upper middle if it is in the 66-79 range and lower middle if the index number is in the 50-65 range. The achievement of the Jambi Province GPA in 2021 is ranked 12th Nationally out of 34 provinces or ranked 2nd out of 8 provinces with small employment affairs).

In the regional area of ​​​​the island of Sumatra, the Jambi Province Employment Development Index is ranked 3rd out of 10 provinces in Sumatra. The main indicators of achievement in Jambi Province that fall into the good category are indicators of workforce planning, population and labor, job opportunities, training and work competencies, wages and welfare of workers and social security for workers. On the other hand, the main indicator with the lowest score is the condition of the working environment.

Future employment challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic that has occurred in the last 3 years has become one of the main factors hindering labor development. The implementation of restrictions on community activities during the covid-19 pandemic has caused disruption of production activities that affect the company's financial condition.

This condition in the long term requires the company to lay off some employees until termination of employment (PHK). Changes in new world governance as a result of the industrial revolution 4.0 force the workforce to be proficient in the use of information technology, speed, innovation and competence.

Another challenge in the workforce that needs to be responded to quickly is the emergence of requests for new positions that did not exist before and the disappearance of requests for old positions that are no longer relevant. A survey from McKinsey stated that in Indonesia there will be 23 million types of jobs that will be affected and replaced by automation and the emergence of 46 million new jobs that has never existed before. Of course, this challenge causes changes with the emergence of new positions in the job market which will open up job opportunities.

The success rate of local governments in improving labor conditions depends on how quickly they respond to these challenges. In addition, there are several things that need to be done by the Regional Government, including strengthening manpower planning, utilizing general employment data sourced from the Central Statistics Agency as a database for policy makers, as well as regional manpower development plans and programs. In addition, it is also necessary to strengthen job training institutions, strengthen industrial relations and the active role of labor inspectors.

So what is our contribution?

In the period of August 2022, the Central Statistics Agency is conducting field data collection for the 2022 Sakernas. As a survey with a full canvasing methodology, members of the public who are selected as the Sakernas sample can contribute by accepting the arrival of officers and helping provide honest and truthful answers. The workforce as part of the productive population can continue to hone their abilities and capacities in the field of information technology, skills and competencies so that they can make the best contribution in the field of employment development. (Jambi/Social Data)