Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

Researchers from the Microeconomics Dashboard (Micdash) study group, led by coordinator Dr. Qisha Quarina from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), participated in the Asia Expert Roundtable on Unemployment Protection 2024. This event, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in cooperation with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, was held on 9-10 October 2024 in Jakarta. Dewita Nanda Prastiwi and Raniah Salsabila, two Micdash assistants, played crucial roles in the event as part of the organizing committee, underscoring Micdash FEB UGM's commitment to supporting international research and dialogue on social protection.

During the Forum, Dr. Qisha delivered several presentations, highlighting the importance of considering the diverse characteristics of freelancers and informal workers when designing plans to extend social protection to this segment. She emphasized that policies should not only be adaptable to economic changes but also tailored to the different characteristics of different workers.

Dr. Qisha also shared previous research findings that revealed significant differences in informal workers' characteristics, capabilities, and willingness to pay. She also highlighted the issue of workers' awareness of their social protection rights, stressing that this remains a challenge as many workers and employers still view social protection as limited to formal sector workers.

She noted that data in Indonesia indicate that most informal workers face income vulnerability, with most falling into the bottom 40% of the income distribution. Dr. Qisha, therefore, emphasized the need for the government to establish a more comprehensive social protection program for informal workers. Such a program should include contributory and non-contributory schemes or contribution subsidies in programs such as PBI (Penerima Bantuan Iuran).

Reporter: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Related article: Asia Expert Roundtable on Unemployment Protection 2024 | International Labour Organization

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