Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi MARA, held a webinar entitled Collaborative Teaching: Unemployment among ASEAN Countries on Friday, November 1, 2024, conducted in Google Meet. On this special occasion, Dr. Malik Cahyadin, a lecturer at FEB UNS, was invited as the keynote speaker, and Dr. Rosmah Nizam from the Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA Pahang, Malaysia, served as the moderator.

Opening the session, Dr. Rosmah Nizam introduced Dr. Malik and setting the stage for the session. “Today, we will listen to a presentation by Dr. Malik for approximately two hours, followed by a discussion and Q&A session,” said Dr. Rosmah.

In his presentation, Dr. Malik provided a comprehensive analysis of the concept of unemployment, emphasizing its multifaceted nature and the underlying causes. He explained that unemployment is not merely the absence of work, but a complex socio-economic phenomenon influenced by various factors such as economic fluctuations, technological advancements, and structural shifts in the labor market.

Dr. Malik further categorized the workforce into four distinct groups: individuals who are employed, those who are not employed but actively seeking work, the labor force—comprising both employed and unemployed individuals available for work, and the final group, those outside the labor force, including individuals who are neither working nor seeking employment.

The webinar, which was attended by more than 300 students from both UNS and Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, also included a discussion on policy alternatives to address unemployment.

“The government can implement workforce training programs, such as those already in place in Indonesia, and establish agencies that provide job vacancy information to job seekers. This will help match employees with suitable positions,” Dr. Malik explained.

He further elaborated on the labor market conditions, specifically focusing on unemployment across five ASEAN countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.