On Thursday (15/10), Indonesian Chief Economics Minister Darmin Nasution unveiled the fourth economic stimulus package with a main focus on boosting labor and employment in Indonesia. A key policy in the new package is the fixed formula that will be applied by the government to determine increases in labor wages across the 34 provinces of the Archipelago. The government said it will allow a wage increase, every year, based on the provincial inflation rate and economic growth pace.

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The government of Indonesia will announce a fourth stimulus package on Thursday (15/10). This new edition will focus on safeguarding employment in Indonesia. Due to the country's economic slowdown, concern about unemployment has risen. The Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPSI) recently said that over 62,000 Indonesian workers lost their jobs during the first nine months of 2015.

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For the 12th consecutive month Indonesia's manufacturing activity contracted as output and new orders declined. The Nikkei/Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 47.4 in September 2015 from 48.4 in the preceding month and below analysts' forecasts (a reading of 50.0 separates contraction from expansion). September's contraction was the second-fastest drop in Indonesia's manufacturing activity since the index was started in early 2012.

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Several weeks ago it had already been reported that Indonesian President Joko Widodo requested Manpower and Transmigration Minister Hanif Dhakiri to revise a draft regulation (made in 2013) that forces expats to pass a mandatory Indonesian language proficiency test in order to be eligible to obtain a work permit. According to Widodo this regulation jeopardizes the attractiveness of Indonesia’s investment climate.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo wants to drop the regulation that states a foreign worker needs to learn Indonesian. Today (21/08), Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said President Widodo (often called Jokowi) requested Hanif Dhakiri, Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, to revise this regulation (that was issued in 2013). According to Jokowi the language proficiency requirement would make Indonesia’s investment climate less competitive and could therefore hamper much-needed investment.

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The World Bank cut its forecast for economic growth in Indonesia in 2015 from 5.2 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 4.7 percent (y/y) as private consumption, which accounts for about 55 percent of total economic growth in Indonesia, is estimated to weaken further in the second half of 2015 while government spending has been lower than expected (causing subdued fixed investment). Furthermore, persistent low commodity prices and tighter credit conditions provide further pressures that led to the extreme downward revision.

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In the latest report of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) the institution emphasizes that gender equality in employment should be promoted by governments in order to combat income inequality and thus achieve not only a more just and harmonious society but also boost inclusive economic growth. In most countries gender equality remains a matter of concern. The report also states that governments should not ignore the importance of broadening access to jobs and encourage investment in education.

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Coremap, a project supported by the World Bank, aims to revive Indonesia’s coral reefs in an effort to improve the welfare of coastal communities in Indonesia. By rehabilitating coral reefs, the country’s fish population, vital to the livelihoods of local communities, can expand. Moreover, the rehabilitation of coral reefs entails better opportunities in the (eco)tourism sector as it will attract underwater tourism. As such, new small businesses can be established in the coastal areas.

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The latest survey of Indonesia’s central bank showed that consumer confidence fell slightly in November 2014 amid concern that the recent subsidized fuel price hike will lead to decreased business activity as well as reduced job availability in the next six months in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Bank Indonesia’s consumer confidence index fell to 120.1 points from 120.6 points in October. The institution interviewed 4,600 households in 18 major Indonesian cities for this survey.

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Acting Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said that the minimum provincial wage for Jakarta (Upah Minimum Provinsi) will not exceed IDR 2.7 million (USD $221) in 2015. This new minimum wage would mean a 10.3 percentage point increase from Jakarta’s current minimum wage of IDR 2.44 million (USD $200). According to the acting Governor, the new minimum wage would be above the needed salary to have an acceptable standard of living in the capital city of Indonesia (which Ahok puts at IDR 2.53 million or USD $207).

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The recovery in global palm oil prices that seemed to have started last spring, has ended. A few months ago, optimism had colored expectations of many analysts as palm oil prices went up about 10 percent between early May and mid-June, after tumbling 30 percent in 2012 (causing that palm oil was one of the worst performing commodities in terms of price growth last year). However, the palm oil price increase earlier this year was merely the result of falling production rates in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest palm oil producers.

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