The phenomenon of overwork, or excessively long working hours, has become a reality faced by many workers in Indonesia. Overwork is defined as working beyond an individual’s physical and mental capacity. It is often caused by long working hours, unrealistic workloads, or high levels of pressure, which can lead to fatigue, stress, declining productivity, and health problems.
Unlike workaholism, which stems from an internal compulsion to work, overwork is largely driven by external factors such as company demands. Data from the August 2025 National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas), released by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), indicate that 25.47 percent of the working population works more than 49 hours per week.
Economist from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), Dr. Wisnu Setiadi Nugroho, stated that the tendency of Indonesian workers to take on multiple jobs is not solely the result of a single economic pressure.
According to Dr. Nugroho, the phenomenon reflects a combination of structural conditions in Indonesia’s labor market, including the limited availability of quality jobs, inadequate wages, and the high prevalence of informal employment.
“This phenomenon is the result of inadequate job quality, low decent wages, and high levels of informality in employment,” he said at FEB UGM on Tuesday (Jan. 27).
Does working longer hours automatically increase economic output, or does it instead reduce long-term productivity?
In theory, Dr. Nugroho explained, longer working hours may increase short-term output because total hours worked increase. However, empirical evidence from labor studies indicates that hourly productivity does not necessarily increase with longer working hours.
“Several international studies indicate that although workers in Indonesia work more than the standard 40 hours per week, productivity per hour remains relatively low compared to other ASEAN countries. In conclusion, long working hours are suspected to reduce work effectiveness per hour due to fatigue, declining concentration, and increased health and occupational accident risks,” he explained.
Dr. Nugroho emphasized that the government needs to implement several measures in response to the phenomenon of overwork. One key step is to review wage policies to ensure they do not encourage overwork.
Overwork often arises when workers seek additional income to compensate for insufficient earnings from their primary, low-wage jobs.
An initial measure, according to him, is to promote fair wages and wage formulas that account for productivity.
The government must ensure that minimum wage policies are not based solely on inflation but also take into account regional productivity and the needs for a decent standard of living.
Many studies in both developed and developing countries show that strong minimum wage policies tend to reduce excessive working hours and change incentives for workers to seek multiple jobs.
“Evidence shows that minimum wage policies in Indonesia can reduce average working hours while increasing workers’ real wages,” he stated.
Furthermore, the government is expected to reorganize regulations on part-time work and overtime. The Job Creation Bill stipulates regular working hours of up to eight hours per day or 40 hours per week, and overtime of up to four hours per day or 18 hours per week.
However, in practice, these provisions are implemented separately by each workplace.
“Ideally, there should be an integrated system that can monitor each worker’s working hours. Law enforcement is crucial to prevent the exploitation of working hours without fair compensation,” he said.
Another measure, in Dr. Nugroho’s view, is to improve workforce skills and productivity. Through the Ministry of Manpower, the government can promote vocational training, upskilling, and reskilling programs to enhance worker productivity.
Higher productivity can reduce the need for long working hours because output per hour increases.
Indonesia has indeed experienced significant employment growth. In 2024, around 4.8 million new jobs were created, and between 2018 and 2024, approximately 18 million jobs emerged.
However, more than 80 percent of these jobs were in the informal sector, such as household businesses, small traders, and freelance work, while formal employment in large corporations or the public sector remained limited.
“As a result, many workers are in unstable positions with low wages, no social protection, and no clear career paths,” he explained.
A study conducted by Dr. Nugroho and his team on Indonesian workers found that the average starting wage was only around IDR 1.6 million per month. This figure is well below the minimum living standard and the wages in the formal sector.
“These low-wage conditions force many workers to seek additional jobs to meet their families’ basic needs. Another option is to take on long working hours, even when the main job does not provide adequate full-time hours, by combining several part-time jobs to earn sufficient income,” he elaborated.
Findings from the BPS National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas) indicate that more than a quarter of workers hold multiple jobs, with significant additional hours beyond their main jobs.
Meanwhile, BPS data as of February 2025 suggest that approximately 33.8 percent of the labor force works fewer than 35 hours per week, meaning their working hours do not meet full-time employment standards.
More specifically, only about 66 percent of workers are employed full-time, working at least 35 hours per week. The remaining approximately 49.29 million people work part-time, including those with very low hours of work.
“Workers with limited working hours are often driven to seek second or third jobs because their primary working hours are insufficient to support a decent livelihood,” he explained.
Beyond wage issues, Dr. Nugroho highlighted the lack of social security coverage, such as BPJS Ketenagakerjaan and BPJS Kesehatan, which are often unavailable to informal sector workers.
This situation forces workers to bear health costs and work-related risks out of pocket. The absence of such facilities also encourages workers to seek additional jobs to cover these expenses.
“The contribution and role of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan in providing better social protection are highly relevant in this context,” he concluded.
Reporter: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara Putri