UNU Jogja Economist Proposes “1 Million Indonesian Teleworkers” Program, Projected to Generate Trillions of Rupiah in Foreign Exchange

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – An economist from Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) has proposed a national initiative called “1 Million Indonesian Teleworkers” as a strategy to strengthen Indonesia’s competitiveness in the global digital labor market while boosting the country's foreign exchange earnings.

The proposal is part of the findings of the Suhada Model, an analytical framework for evaluating the performance of remote workers developed by economist and UNU Jogja Management lecturer Dr. Ir. Suhada, ST., MBA., IPU., QRGP.

The program is designed to capitalize on the expanding opportunities of the global digital economy, where remote work enables Indonesian professionals to connect directly with international companies and clients without having to migrate abroad.

According to Dr. Suhada, these opportunities cannot be fully utilized without adequate domestic preparedness. Therefore, developing teleworkers on a national scale requires comprehensive government support, including the expansion of digital infrastructure across regions, continuous digital skills training, strengthened internationally recognized competency certifications, and the creation of a healthy digital work ecosystem through coworking spaces, professional communities, and digital collaboration platforms.

“Indonesia has enormous potential to become one of the key players in the global digital economy. However, this requires a system that focuses not only on technology but also on the quality of human resources,” Suhada said.

Based on simulations conducted in the study, if 20 percent of 100,000 Indonesian teleworkers secure international clients with an average monthly income of Rp30 million, the country could potentially generate around Rp7.2 trillion (approximately US$440 million) in foreign exchange earnings annually.

The figure could increase substantially if the number of teleworkers expands to reach the target of one million digital workers actively participating in the global market.

Dr. Suhada argued that teleworking could become a key instrument in Indonesia’s economic transformation from a conventional labor-based system toward a knowledge-based digital economy.

The initiative is also expected to provide young people in regional areas with access to global employment opportunities without relocating to major cities, thereby helping reduce regional economic disparities.

Furthermore, the study emphasizes that the success of such a transformation depends not only on digital infrastructure but also on strengthening digital competencies, fostering innovative work behavior, and cultivating an adaptive work culture suited to remote working systems.

“Therefore, the concept of ‘1 Million Indonesian Teleworkers’ should be positioned not merely as an employment program, but as a long-term digital economic development strategy,” he concluded. [Latifah]