Having a job no longer guarantees a decent life or economic security. In Indonesia, regional minimum wages often fall short of covering basic living expenses, such as housing, food, transportation and health care. Many formal workers remain financially vulnerable, navigating rising living costs while wages remain largely stagnant.

Take Jakarta as an example. The regional minimum wage has been set at Rp 5.3 million (US$321) per month for this year. This amount may be sufficient only for a single person, unmarried, childless and without dependents.

According to a 2022 survey by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the average monthly household cost of living rose from around Rp 1 million to Rp 1.5 million. In the 10 cities with the highest living costs, Jakarta ranks at the top, with household expenses jumping by Rp 1.43 million to Rp 14.88 million per month for a family of up to six people.

And this only scratches the surface, where many people live complex lives, often as part of the “sandwich generation”, supporting not only themselves but also their parents, siblings and other dependents.

This disconnect between income and cost of living has led to a growing class of employed individuals who remain trapped in a cycle of precarity. This situation is exacerbated by the romanticization of hustle culture, where working overtime is glorified, and sacrificing personal health and relationships is normalized.

In cities like Jakarta, toxic productivity has become a way of life. Many young workers push themselves to appear committed and hard-working, often at the cost of their well-being. Meanwhile, the wages they receive are insufficient to improve their standard of living.