High unemployment rate in Bali

Visitors to Bali often arrive off of a plane and land in downtown Kuta.

The heat and congestion as well as the number of people doing different activities can make Bali at first impression seem to be a hive of activity. Commercialism, consumerism and the drive to make money are king in Kuta but how is that affecting the island as a whole?

I see Bali as being caught in a no mans land as far as economy and education. Fifty years ago a Balinese person had a much easier time predicting their life ahead, family life and prospects. Most people would stay close to their family and participate in activities their parents had done and probably not expect their situation to be much different.

Balinese kids have the situation of having the beginnings of a proper western education, but not enough colleges or universities. A good look at what money looks like, with all the tourists spending like crazy, but no real way to get to that economic level. They see all the adornments of the modern world but do not have the tools or the opportunies to access those fully.

I know people here are industrious and quick to adapt and was very surprised to learn that there is a 30% unemployment rate among the Balinese work force. Part of me thinks this is because jobs are hard to find (I know this is true) and part of me thinks its case of not being able to find the right jobs. I have worked illegally in many countries and always found a job, you have to ask how badly someone wants a job when they say there are no jobs.

There are examples galore around the world of a half educated youths leaving their villages in search of employment in the city, only to find a saturated labor market or a local economy that just does not offer much more than customer service. I meet smart people all the time and wonder how different things could be for them if they had access to higher education and a more diverse market.

Visiting many large hotels I can report many of the managers are from overseas and from Java. The level of education in Java is higher than Bali and as wages tend to be less people have more of a get up and go mentality (and I am not just saying this because my wife in Javanese).

Interesting times for the Balinese people and their culture. Life on the farm does not hold the promise it once did and the government should give thought to the islands development in order to avoid situations like in Papua New Guinea where disenfranchised youths become involved in crime and the old culture is lost in one generation for them.

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