TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
No job too small: The predicament of white-collar workers
The decline in formal employment, juxtaposed with a conspicuous lack of basic skills among the youth, causes the cost of living among the younger to spiral out of control not only for regular necessities but also for the “deskilling tax".
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
The Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) is expected to have an impact beyond low-skilled labor and traditional sectors such as manufacturing; unlike its predecessor decades ago. (Shutterstock/File)
G
one are the days when fixing a leaky faucet, patching up a wall or assembling furniture were seen as standard skills passed down from generation to generation. Today, the reliance on professional services among younger generations for tasks that were once common household knowledge is on the rise.
The emergence of services boldly advertising "No job too small" is a strong indicator of the modern generation's growing detachment from manual skills, also known as do-it-yourself (DIY) skills.
My recent experience of calling a handyman for AC cleaning in my rented Hong Kong apartment gave us a stark glimpse into the death of the DIY phenomenon. I recall how challenging it was to schedule a meeting with the handyman. He even had the “authority” to dictate his availability, leaving me with no choice but to forgo visiting the office.
At around noon, he finally arrived with a short notice beforehand. He then knocked on the door and began cleaning the AC, without much talking. And, to my surprise, he finished the job in under 10 minutes for a hefty HK$750 (US$96).
Although my landlord covered all the bills, such experience did prompt a pause for thought—what if the financial burden fell squarely on my shoulders?
Let us imagine what would happen if the younger generation in Indonesia is not skilled in manual tasks while the wage level here is not competitive? This spells a ticking time bomb for a cost-of-living crisis.
In the meantime, as reported by Kompas on May 20, the once vibrant landscape of formal job creation has drastically withered over the last 15 years. The formal sector, once a bustling hub for job seekers, is now a shadow of its former self, leaving an increasing number of Indonesian youngsters to navigate the precarious world of informal employment.
