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View all search resultsJakarta still attracts newcomers despite rising costs, shrinking jobs
Some people opt to move into the capital city due to limited job opportunities in their hometown, despite realizing Jakarta may not provide as many options as it did in the past.
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Passengers disembark on March 24, 2026, from an intercity coach at the Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta, amid the post-Idul Fitri 'balik' (return) travel surge after the Islamic holiday. (Antara/Salma Talita)
F
or some people, Jakarta is still a place that promises opportunities for a better life than their hometown, prompting them to move into the city after the Idul Fitri holiday to dare the rising costs and shrinking income in the capital.
Among them was Laras, 27, who is currently preparing to move to Jakarta from Bandung, West Java, where he has been struggling to get a job with the past three years. She believes the capital would offer better job opportunities.
“It makes sense that a lot of people dare to move to Jakarta even without proper preparation and competence. I myself feel desperate looking for a job in my own hometown,” Laras told The Jakarta Post on March 27.
But some who have moved to Jakarta may find the reality is not the same as their initial hope. Luna Anjani, an 18-year-old high school graduate from Serang, Banten, said the job market in the capital was not as promising as many people commonly perceive.
She moved to Jakarta last September in search of work, despite having no prior experience or any slightest insight of Jakarta’s job market. Luna moved to the capital after being encouraged by her relative, who has been living in Jakarta for decades and assured her of promising job prospects.
“It was very difficult to find a job in Serang, so I moved to Jakarta. But it turned out to be just as difficult,” said Luna, who eventually found a job at a bakery in Senen, Central Jakarta after applying to dozens of vacancies.
Every year, especially after the Idul Fitri holiday when millions of Jakartans gather with their relatives in their hometown, the capital city usually sees an uptick of newcomers, although the trend slows down in recent years.
