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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower reported that more than 18,000 workers experienced termination of employment during the first two months of 2025.
The number was officially recorded in data published on the Manpower Ministry's official portal.
"In the period from January to February 2025, there were 18,610 workers who were reported to have been laid off," as stated in Ministry of Manpower's data cited on Monday, March 31, 2025.
Citing Ministry's report, Central Java province had the highest number of layoffs during the period of January-February 2025.
"The highest number of laid-off workers is in Central Java province, accounting for about 57.37 percent of the reported layoffs," the data reads.
A total of 10,677 workers fell victim to layoffs in Central Java. This is in line with the massive layoffs at the textile company PT Sri Rejeki Isman Tbk. (Sritex).
The company, headquartered in Sukoharjo, Central Java, terminated the employment of over 10,000 workers due to a bankruptcy decision.
Meanwhile, in Riau, Ministry recorded 3,530 people affected by layoffs as of February 2025. Then, in the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, 2,650 workers also lost their jobs.
In East Java, 978 workers experienced layoffs, 411 in Banten, 87 in Bali, 77 in South Sulawesi, and 72 in Central Kalimantan. In West Java, there were 23 workers affected by layoffs.
During the period from January to December 2024, Ministry recorded 77,965 workers who experienced layoffs. The highest number of laid-off workers was in Jakarta, accounting for about 21.91 percent of the reported layoffs.
Kemnaker noted 17,085 layoff victims in Jakarta from January to December 2024. This was followed by Central Java with 13,130 workers, Banten with 13,042 people, and West Java with 10,661 workers.
Meanwhile, layoffs in East Java during that period affected 5,327 workers, 2,699 in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, 2,055 in Central Sulawesi, and 1,908 in Bangka Belitung.
Recently, a wave of layoffs was reported to have hit the domestic industry. Several companies were forced to close their operations and lay off a total of 3,200 employees. Some of these companies include PT Sanken Indonesia, PT Yamaha Music Product Asia, PT Tokai Kagu, PT Danbi International Garut, and PT Bapintri.
Sritex officially shut down its factory on March 1, 2025, and announced mass layoffs affecting 10,969 employees. The layoffs involved four companies under the Sritex Group: PT Sritex Sukoharjo, PT Bitratex Semarang, PT Sinar Panja Jaya Semarang, and PT Primayuda Boyolali.
However, Minister of Manpower Yassierli refuted claims of a large-scale wave of layoffs affecting Indonesian workers. He stated that not all reported layoffs accurately reflect the actual conditions on the ground.
"Indeed, there are some companies that, according to media reports, have conducted layoffs. But after we verified, it turns out that not all of them are true," Yassierli said at the Ministry of Manpower office in the Gatot Subroto area, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
He stated that they had conducted direct investigations and assessments of several companies reported to have carried out mass layoffs. According to him, their findings contradicted the information circulating in the media.
Furthermore, he noted that some companies reported to have laid off workers had, in reality, increased their workforce. "I believe that reports of a 'wave' of layoffs should be viewed in a more proportional manner," he said.
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