Job Search Duration: Human Capital Influence on Recent Migrant Workers in Indonesia

This study aimed to analyse the impact of human capital on the duration of job search for Indonesian recent migrant workers. The human capital that was the focus of this study is education, training, skills, use of digital technology, and internet use. In addition, the characteristics of recent migrant workers employment from the field of employment and individual characteristics, namely age, gender, urban status, and Java Island, were also taken into account. A total of 1267 individuals were analysed, sourced from the National Labour Force Survey (Sakernas) in August 2022. The analysis method used was the Survival Analysis. The results of the Survival analysis using the life table showed that 75% of recent migrant workers got a job within 1 month of looking for a job. The analysis conducted with Cox regression revealed that human capital significantly influenced the duration of job search among recent migrant workers. Specifically, the survival analysis indicated that possessing middle and higher education levels facilitated a quicker job search, whereas training did not appear to have a noteworthy effect. Skills, the use of digital technology and the Internet had a significant impact on the duration of job search, with a striking hazard ratio. In addition, the manufacturing and service industries showed a high hazard ratio, indicating a greater risk of failure to find a job in these sectors compared to job search in the agricultural sector. The analysis also revealed that individual characteristics, such as gender and place of residence, affected the duration of job search. Women recent migrant workers who lived in urban areas tended to look for jobs for a longer period of time. These findings contributed to the body of knowledge regarding the determinants of employment outcomes among recent migrant workers. Specifically, they elucidate the significant impact of educational attainment, skill acquisition, and various demographic variables on the efficacy of job search processes. This research underscored the complexity of the labour market integration for migrants and emphasised the necessity of understanding these multifaceted influences in order to enhance employment prospects for this population.