Job Seekers and The Dominance of The Informal Sector in Padang Panjang City: A Qualitative Study
Keywords:
job seekers, formal labor market, informal sector, adaptive strategy,, Padang Panjang City
Abstract
This study was motivated by the limited formal labor market in Padang Panjang City, which has not been able to optimally absorb job seekers, causing the informal sector to become a dominant employment option. This study aims to describe job seekers' understanding of the limitations of the formal labor market, their experiences in searching for jobs, the factors they consider in choosing jobs, and the position of the informal sector as an employment option. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The research was conducted in Padang Panjang City, West Sumatra. The informants consisted of 7 people, namely 4 main informants who were registered job seekers and 3 supporting informants from Special Job Placement Units (BKK) and an employment analyst. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, and then analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that the formal labor market in Padang Panjang City remains limited due to the small number of large companies, the underdevelopment of labor-intensive industries, and the mismatch between company needs and job seekers' competencies. Under these conditions, job seekers remain active in seeking employment, but they still face obstacles such as educational requirements, lack of work experience, weak soft skills, and limited social connections. Their job choices are influenced by income, distance, working hours, comfort, skill suitability, experience, and career prospects. The informal sector is understood not as a final destination, but as a temporary option and an adaptive strategy when formal employment has not yet been obtained. Thus, the dominance of the informal sector in Padang Panjang City is the result of the interaction between the limitations of the formal labor market and the adaptive strategies of job seekers
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Jumady, E., & Lilla, L. (2021). Antecedent And Consequence The Human Resources Management Factors On Civil Servant Performance. Golden Ratio Of Human Resource Management, 1(2), 104–116. Https://Doi.Org/10.52970/Grhrm.V1i2.101
Korsunova, A., Halme, M., Kourula, A., Levänen, J., & Lima-Toivanen, M. (2022). Necessity-Driven Circular Economy In Low-Income Contexts: How Informal Sector Practices Retain Value For Circularity. Global Environmental Change, 76, 102573.
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Nurhalimah Harahap, & Atika Hanan Julia Harahap. (2024). Connecting Local Wisdom And Social Media: Innovative Strategies In Building Economic Sustainability And Overcoming Unemployment. Jst (Jurnal Sains Dan Teknologi), 13(3), 455–463. Https://Doi.Org/10.23887/Jstundiksha.V13i3.90436
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Oktarina, T., & Feriansyah, T. (2022). Quality Analysis Of The Lapkin Website System Using The Webqual 4.0 Method At Department Of The Environment And Cleaning Palembang City. Jurnal Teknik Informatika (Jutif), 3(5), 1415–1421. Https://Doi.Org/10.20884/1.Jutif.2022.3.5.603
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Sengupta, D., Ilankoon, I., Kang, K. D., & Chong, M. N. (2022). Circular Economy And Household E-Waste Management In India: Integration Of Formal And Informal Sectors. Minerals Engineering, 184, 107661.
Sultana, N., Rahman, M. M., & Khanam, R. (2022a). Informal Sector Employment And Economic Growth: Evidence From Developing Countries In Sdg Perspective. Sustainability, 14(19), 11989.
Sultana, N., Rahman, M. M., & Khanam, R. (2022b). The Effect Of The Informal Sector On Sustainable Development: Evidence From Developing Countries. Business Strategy & Development, 5(4), 437–451.
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Tawodzera, G., & Crush, J. (2023). ‘A Foreigner Is Not A Person In This Country’: Xenophobia And The Informal Sector In South Africa’s Secondary Cities. Urban Transformations, 5(1), 2.
Waiganjo, K., Odote, C., & Kabira, N. (2025). Informality In Governance: Evaluating Intergovernmental Relations In Kenya’s Health Sector During The Covid-19 Pandemic. Journal Of African Law, 69(2), 289–306. Https://Doi.Org/10.1017/S002185532400038x
Biedma Ferrer, J. M., & Medina Garrido, J. A. (2014). Impact Of Family-Friendly Hrm Policies In Organizational Performance. Intangible Capital, 10(3), 448–464. Https://Doi.Org/10.3926/Ic.506
Brieger, S. A., Anderer, S., Fröhlich, A., Bäro, A., & Meynhardt, T. (2020). Too Much Of A Good Thing? On The Relationship Between Csr And Employee Work Addiction. Journal Of Business Ethics, 166(2), 311–329. Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/S10551-019-04141-8
Chen, F., Luo, Z., Yang, Y., Liu, G.-J., & Ma, J. (2018). Enhancing Municipal Solid Waste Recycling Through Reorganizing Waste Pickers: A Case Study In Nanjing, China. Waste Management & Research: The Journal For A Sustainable Circular Economy, 36(9), 767–778. Https://Doi.Org/10.1177/0734242x18766216
Darby, S., O’hanlon, D., Casterton, S., Harding, N., O’brien, A.-M., Quinn, G., Urmeneta, O., & Tweddell, S. (2023). Improved Learning Outcomes And Teacher Experience: A Qualitative Study Of Team-Based Learning In Secondary Schools. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), 100590. Https://Doi.Org/Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Ssaho.2023.100590
Dousin, O., Collins, N., & Kler, B. K. (2022). The Experience Of Work‐Life Balance For Women Doctors And Nurses In Malaysia. Asia Pacific Journal Of Human Resources, 60(2), 362–380. Https://Doi.Org/10.1111/1744-7941.12282
Eskreis-Winkler, L., Shulman, E. P., Beal, S. A., & Duckworth, A. L. (2014). The Grit Effect: Predicting Retention In The Military, The Workplace, School And Marriage. Frontiers In Psychology, 5(Feb), 1–12. Https://Doi.Org/10.3389/Fpsyg.2014.00036
Etim, E., & Daramola, O. (2020). The Informal Sector And Economic Growth Of South Africa And Nigeria: A Comparative Systematic Review. Journal Of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, And Complexity, 6(4), 134. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Joitmc6040134
Ghani, S. E., Kerr, W., & O’connell, S. D. (2023). Female Business Ownership And Informal Sector Persistence. Ssrn Scholarly Paper. Https://Papers.Ssrn.Com/Abstract=2328451
Harfadli, M. M. Arij, Ramadan, B. S., Ulimaz, M., Rachman, I., & Matsumoto, T. (2025). Environmental Impact And Priority Assessment Of Municipal Solid Waste Management Scenarios In Balikpapan City, Indonesia. Cleaner Waste Systems, 10, 100223. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Clwas.2025.100223
Harfadli, M. M., Ramadan, B. S., Rachman, I., & Matsumoto, T. (2024). Challenges And Characteristics Of The Informal Waste Sector In Developing Countries: An Overview. Journal Of Material Cycles And Waste Management, 26(3), 1294–1309.
Hasselwander, M., Kiko, M., & Johnson, T. (2022). Digital Civic Engagement, Open Data, And The Informal Sector: A Think Piece. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 16, 100700.
Heim, M., Schulz, C. M., Schneider, F., Berberat, P. O., Gartmeier, M., & Schick, K. (2023). Measuring Informal Workplace Learning Outcomes In Residency Training: A Validation Study. Bmc Medical Education, 23(1), 1–12. Https://Doi.Org/10.1186/S12909-023-04529-1
Ifeanyi, C. O., Edith, E. A. G. U., Onyinye, G. E., Chikezie, P.-M. E., & Mobolaji, O. K. (2022). A Theoretical Model For Standardized Taxation Of Nigeria’s Informal Sector: A Pathway To Compliance. International Journal, 1(2), 83–97.
Immanuel, M. (2023). Adaptasi Sosial Dan Ekonomi Pedagang Sektor Informal Universitas Hasanuddin Selama Masa Pandemi= Social And Economic Adaptation Of Informal Sector Traders At Hasanuddin University During The Pandemic Period. Universitas Hasanuddin.
Indrawati, C. R. W., Arso, S. P., & Budiyanti, R. T. (2023). Analisis Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia Di Instalasi Central Sterile Supply Departement Rumah Sakit X Kota Semarang Dalam Memenuhi Standar Kompetensi Dan Kewenangan Staf Akreditasi Rumah Sakit. Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat, 11(6), 573–583. Https://Doi.Org/10.14710/Jkm.V11i6.37514
Jiang, H., & Shen, H. (2023). Toward A Relational Theory Of Employee Engagement: Understanding Authenticity, Transparency, And Employee Behaviors. International Journal Of Business Communication, 60(3), 948–975. Https://Doi.Org/10.1177/2329488420954236
Jumady, E., & Lilla, L. (2021). Antecedent And Consequence The Human Resources Management Factors On Civil Servant Performance. Golden Ratio Of Human Resource Management, 1(2), 104–116. Https://Doi.Org/10.52970/Grhrm.V1i2.101
Korsunova, A., Halme, M., Kourula, A., Levänen, J., & Lima-Toivanen, M. (2022). Necessity-Driven Circular Economy In Low-Income Contexts: How Informal Sector Practices Retain Value For Circularity. Global Environmental Change, 76, 102573.
Kurniadi, K., & Sumarna, E. (2022). The Process Of Collaboration In Regulating Street Vendors In Bandung City. The Qualitative Report, 27(5), 1439–1454. Https://Doi.Org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5458
Kurniawan, T. A., Dzarfan Othman, M. H., Hwang, G. H., & Gikas, P. (2022). Unlocking Digital Technologies For Waste Recycling In Industry 4.0 Era: A Transformation Towards A Digitalization-Based Circular Economy In Indonesia. Journal Of Cleaner Production, 357(April), 131911. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Jclepro.2022.131911
Kusumawardhani, N., Pramana, R., Saputri, N. S., & Suryadarma, D. (2023). Heterogeneous Impact Of Internet Availability On Female Labor Market Outcomes In An Emerging Economy: Evidence From Indonesia. World Development, 164, 106182. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Worlddev.2022.106182
Lisjak, J., Rončević, A., & Markovinović, D. (2021). Key Tasks And Competences Of Spatial Data Manager In Local Self-Government. Tehnički Glasnik, 15(2), 213–219. Https://Doi.Org/10.31803/Tg-20201117134708
Musara, M., & Nieuwenhuizen, C. (2020). Informal Sector Entrepreneurship, Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation And The Emergence Of Entrepreneurial Leadership. Africa Journal Of Management, 194–213. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/23322373.2020.1777817
Nurhalimah Harahap, & Atika Hanan Julia Harahap. (2024). Connecting Local Wisdom And Social Media: Innovative Strategies In Building Economic Sustainability And Overcoming Unemployment. Jst (Jurnal Sains Dan Teknologi), 13(3), 455–463. Https://Doi.Org/10.23887/Jstundiksha.V13i3.90436
Octaviani, S. L., & Puspitasari, A. Y. (2022). Studi Literatur : Penataan Dan Pemberdayaan Sektor Informal: Pedagang Kaki Lima. Jurnal Kajian Ruang, 1(1), 130. Https://Doi.Org/10.30659/Jkr.V1i1.19991
Oktarina, T., & Feriansyah, T. (2022). Quality Analysis Of The Lapkin Website System Using The Webqual 4.0 Method At Department Of The Environment And Cleaning Palembang City. Jurnal Teknik Informatika (Jutif), 3(5), 1415–1421. Https://Doi.Org/10.20884/1.Jutif.2022.3.5.603
Putro, T. A. (2021). Establishment Of Omnibus Law In Solving Investment Issues In Indonesia. Indonesian Comparative Law Review, 3(2), 105–123. Https://Doi.Org/10.18196/Iclr.V3i2.12738
Rawal, D. M. (2023). Work Life Balance Among Female School Teachers [K-12] Delivering Online Curriculum In Noida [India] During Covid: Empirical Study. Management In Education, 37(1), 37–45. Https://Doi.Org/10.1177/0892020621994303
Sengupta, D., Ilankoon, I., Kang, K. D., & Chong, M. N. (2022). Circular Economy And Household E-Waste Management In India: Integration Of Formal And Informal Sectors. Minerals Engineering, 184, 107661.
Sultana, N., Rahman, M. M., & Khanam, R. (2022a). Informal Sector Employment And Economic Growth: Evidence From Developing Countries In Sdg Perspective. Sustainability, 14(19), 11989.
Sultana, N., Rahman, M. M., & Khanam, R. (2022b). The Effect Of The Informal Sector On Sustainable Development: Evidence From Developing Countries. Business Strategy & Development, 5(4), 437–451.
Swain, R. B., Kambhampati, U., & Karimu, A. (2022). Regulation, Governance And The Role Of The Informal Sector In Influencing Environmental Quality. In The Informal Sector And The Environment (Pp. 16–41). Routledge.
Tawodzera, G., & Crush, J. (2023). ‘A Foreigner Is Not A Person In This Country’: Xenophobia And The Informal Sector In South Africa’s Secondary Cities. Urban Transformations, 5(1), 2.
Waiganjo, K., Odote, C., & Kabira, N. (2025). Informality In Governance: Evaluating Intergovernmental Relations In Kenya’s Health Sector During The Covid-19 Pandemic. Journal Of African Law, 69(2), 289–306. Https://Doi.Org/10.1017/S002185532400038x
Published
2026-07-02
How to Cite
Febrian, H., & Putri, A. (2026). Job Seekers and The Dominance of The Informal Sector in Padang Panjang City: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Education, Vocational and Social Science , 5(03), 3214-3233. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.4912
Contact Person +6282139474255
Email : ijevss@citakonsultindo.or.id / editor.ijevss@gmail.com
