Southeast Asia’s largest economy aims to send up to 500,000 skilled workers abroad this year

Indonesia aims to deploy between 300,000 and 500,000 skilled workers abroad this year, beginning in April, to meet global labor demands and increase remittance inflows.

Indonesia Targets Skilled Worker Deployments

The government initiative will prioritize skilled labor in sectors including welding, hospitality, and healthcare, with key destination markets in Japan, South Korea, several European countries, and the U.S. Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar emphasized a shift towards professional and technical positions, moving away from low-skilled domestic work.

Applicants must possess at least a high school diploma or vocational college qualification to ensure competency for technical roles and mitigate risks associated with vulnerable employment, particularly domestic work.

The program is being implemented through the SMA/SMK Go Global initiative, a joint effort by the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment and the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KemenP2MI). The initiative seeks to improve the quality of vocational and high school graduates and broaden their access to international job opportunities.

This new target follows Indonesia exceeding its 2025 overseas placement goal. As of mid-December 2025, over 286,400 Indonesians had secured jobs abroad, representing 110.5% of the annual target.

Domestic work accounted for the largest portion of placements at 36.5%, followed by healthcare at 20.6% and manufacturing at 14.1%. The primary destination countries were Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

Remittances from Indonesian migrant workers reached 212 trillion IDR (US$13.6 billion) through the third quarter of 2025, a 38.6% increase year-over-year, highlighting the significant economic contribution of overseas workers.

The Indonesian Government plans to continue prioritizing skills training, worker protection, and enhanced competitiveness to strengthen the country’s position in the global labor market.