inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Nurhadi said that the chaos at the job fair held by the Bekasi Regency Manpower Office in North Cikarang, West Java, Tuesday (5/27/2025), reflected the urgent need for jobs for the community.
"This incident reflects how urgent the community's need for jobs is, as well as the poor technical mechanisms implemented by the committee," Nurhadi said in a statement received in Jakarta, Monday (6/2/2025).
He also said that the incident showed the government's managerial unpreparedness in handling the high public interest in accessing jobs.
Nurhadi also regretted that the chaos occurred only because of a fight over a QR code scanner containing a list of companies opening job vacancies.
According to him, the regional government should also realize that the job fair is not just an annual ceremonial event, but a representation of structural unemployment which is a major problem in society.
"Job fairs must be a real way out towards decent, safe, and dignified work. Not just ceremonial," he said.
To that end, he added that the approach cannot only be about administration or event-based, but needs to be seen as part of a sustainable strategy in regional employment development.
"More than 25,000 job seekers gathered at one location. This incident of overcrowding is proof that the system and event planning are not yet sensitive to the reality on the ground," he said.
Nurhadi said that as a short-term solution to overcome the current job-seeking issue, the implementation of job fairs can be carried out in a decentralized manner in various sub-districts or industrial zones.
"The government can also strengthen online platforms that allow job seekers to access vacancy information without having to struggle physically," he said.
He also asked the government to evaluate the availability and suitability of jobs with the skill profiles of job seekers, including increasing vocational training and career guidance if the mismatch is too high.
In addition, he asked the government to come up with a more humane, fair, and data-based plan so that job seekers do not become victims of bad management.
"With unemployment rates still high and social unrest that is starting to be seen in the form of chaos like this, job fairs in the future should no longer be a symbol of collective panic," he concluded.
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