REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The unemployment rate until August 2015 was recorded at 6.18 percent, up from 5.94 percent in the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Agency (BPS).

"In the past year, the rate of open unemployment has gone up, with the number of unemployed increasing by 320,000," the agency's deputy for statistical analysis, Suhariyanto, noted at a press conference here on Thursday.

In August 2015, open unemployment reached 7.56 million, up from 7.24 million in the same period last year, he pointed out.

He explained that the rise in the number of unemployed was caused by layoffs and low employment due to an increase in workforce.

"Most industries dependent on imports conducted layoffs to save production cost due to the increase in exchange rate," he revealed.

Most workers being laid off are vocational school dropouts, reaching 12.65 percent, followed by general senior high school dropouts recorded at 10.32 percent.

"Vocational school dropouts are specialists, and so, when jobs that match their vocational skills are no longer available, it would be difficult for them to work in other sectors as they are indeed not flexible," Razali Ritonga, the director of population and manpower statistics, said.

According to the BPS, the number of manpower in August 2015 reached 122.4 million, up by 510 thousand compared to 121.87 million in same period last year.

The number of working population in August 2015 rose by 190 thousand to 114.8 million compared to 114.63 million in August last year.

The structure of agriculture, trade, public service, and industrial sectors until August 2015 has not experienced a change.

The four sectors are the biggest contributors of employment in Indonesia.

In comparison with August 2014, the number of workers in the construction sector in August this year reached 930 thousand, or 12.77 percent; trade at 850 thousand, or 3.42 percent; and the financial sector at 240 thousand, or 7.92 percent.

"Based on the employment status in August 2015, 48.5 million people, or 42.24 percent, work in the formal sector, while 66.3 million, or 57.75 percent, are engaged in the informal sector," Razali added.

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