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Indonesian diaspora balks at domestic employment prospects
According to the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs, there were about 3 million people in the Indonesian diaspora in 2013.
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The United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs estimated around 3 million Indonesian diasporic members in 2013 and Dino claimed 6 million. In 2015, the IDN stated there were around 8 million Indonesian diaspora members globally. (JP/Budhi Button)
T
here is no place like home for many in the Indonesian diaspora. But their dreams of returning to the archipelago and earning a living remain just that – dreams – as quality employment in their specialized fields is not yet available at home.
Adidarma Sepang, an Indonesian fellow actuary who works for insurance company Phoenix Group in the United Kingdom, thinks fondly about returning to Indonesia.
"I want to go home because, after all, Indonesia is my home. Every time I go back to Indonesia, I get this happy feeling speaking Indonesian and seeing familiar people," said Adidarma in an email to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
"The quality of life in the UK, however, is better than in Indonesia because here I am able to have a better work-life balance, a better employee benefit package and access to a more established insurance industry that allows me to broaden my exposure."
The actuarial profession in Indonesia has gained purchase over the last few years, but it is currently limited to the insurance industry only, according to Adidarma.
Read also: Ministry wants diaspora to do more for dual citizenship
"In more developed countries, however, the actuarial profession can be useful in broader areas. There is a possibility that [the situation in Indonesia] will change in the next couple of years," he added.
