Spray Paint & Spreadsheets: The State of Unemployment and Economic Growth in Tangerang
so here i am in tangerang, trying to make sense of unemployment stats while dodging traffic and hunting for a decent wall to tag. the air feels like someone left a wet sock in a microwave - humid enough to wilt your spirit but strangely energizing for getting work done. my neighbors? jakarta’s a chaotic highway scream away, and bandung’s a cool mountain escape if the heat gets too real.
anyway, let’s talk numbers. the unemployment rate in banten province (tangerang’s home turf) sat around 6.5% last i checked - but that’s a damn lie because you see new factories sprouting faster than weeds, yet every warung seems to have 3 guys just staring at the sambal. rent’s a joke too - a decent one-bedroom in the city center will run you about 600 bucks, which is wild when you realize you’re basically living in jakarta’s armpit. safety? locals say stick to main roads after dark, especially near the train stations. one time my friend got his phone jacked near tangerang station - dude vanished like smoke.
heard this gem from a drunk construction worker at a dodung warung last week: > 'the mayor’s son got a sweet deal on a new shopping mall, and now all the small-time vendors are getting pushed out. classic.'
also overheard some expat at barista cafe: > 'my factory’s hiring 20 new robotic arm operators, but trying to find someone who can operate a spanner? impossible.'
here’s the real tea: tangerang’s economy’s a rollercoaster. on one hand, those industrial parks in serpong are pumping out jobs like crazy - mostly for engineers and tech bros. on the other hand, try convincing a street artist that ‘economic growth’ means squat when your only canvas is the back of a warung menu.
for real survival tips:
- if you’re broke, hit up the pasar baru in BSD for cheap art supplies - like, stupidly cheap
- ignore those ‘jobs available’ posters on telephone poles; they’re mostly pyramid schemes
- best street art spots? back alleys near ciputat train station - but bring a buddy, those cats look hungry
wanna verify the mess? check tangerang’s tourist ratings on tripadvisor - mostly about malls and traffic, shockingly. or dive into the r/tangerang subreddit for actual local gossip. for eats, yelp’s got some decent warung recs.
so yeah, unemployment’s a weird mix here - shiny new factories and ghost jobs all in one breath. if you’re trying to survive, best bet’s learning a trade or get real good at spray paint. your move.
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