Indonesia’s Manpower Minister Yassierli has called for a new strategy to address the country’s evolving labour market, stressing that adopting international best practices alone is no longer sufficient. Instead, he urged the development of ‘next practices’ that combine global standards with Indonesia’s local context.
The minister identified several pressing priorities: aligning education and vocational training with labour market needs, addressing long-standing issues such as unpaid wages and workplace discrimination, and ensuring severance and benefits are honoured. He also highlighted the growing challenges facing platform-based and digital economy workers, who require clear legal protections and fair working conditions.
Yassierli emphasised that workers must be recognised as national assets, not liabilities, particularly amid rapid changes shaped by technological disruption, artificial intelligence, the green transition, and the increasing dominance of millennials and Gen Z in the workforce. He noted that younger generations demand more than just income, 24% are willing to leave a job if it lacks meaning and purpose.
To prepare for this shift, he said Indonesia must foster adaptive labour regulations, strengthen industrial relations, and promote people-centred transformation. This includes creating flexible work systems that encourage innovation while embedding future-oriented skills such as emotional intelligence, learning agility, and design thinking alongside technical competencies.
According to the minister, a modernised, people-driven labour system will be key to securing decent work, protecting workers, and enabling Indonesia to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy.
Source: ANTARA