Long-term Economic Development and Employment Changes: The Indonesian Experience

Abstract

This article assesses Indonesia’s long experience with economic development from 1990 up to 2014–2015. It examines economic growth and employment changes in three sub-periods: the high economic growth period 1990–1996; the Asian financial crisis and recovery period 1997–2007 and the global economic crisis from 2008 to the present. In this periodisation, the crisis years and their impact on employment experienced by Indonesia from 1990 to 2014–2015 will be visible. Additionally, it also examines changes in employment dualism, that is, formal vs. informal employment as well as changes in labour productivity during this extended time. This article shows that Indonesia’s economy performed exceptionally well after the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis on the back of a continued prudent macroeconomic framework and solid policy reforms. Employment continued to increase and poverty continued to show a declining trend.