Analysis of Migrants’ Competitiveness in Indonesia

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate and analyze the influence of skills toward migrants' competitiveness and the influence of wisdom toward migrants' competitiveness in Pekanbaru, the capital city of Riau Province, Indonesia. This study employed a quantitative approach in the form of survey. There were 125 migrants who participated in this study who were chosen using quota sampling technique based on the classification of migrants' activities. The first finding shows that there is a significant influence between migrants' skills and their competitiveness. Secondly, migrants' wisdom has certain positive yet insignificant influence toward their competitiveness. The results of this study also show that migrants' competitiveness has been satisfying. Migrants are also known to have strong basic characteristics to achieve certain target or to reach their success. KEY WORDSMigrants, motivation, competitiveness, skills, wisdom.City is an ecosystem of life which also becomes the machine of life for cities provide various source of living. Thus, this machine is expected to be effective and efficient in serving the people. Cities are a set of functional arrangement in which houses, jobs, shopping centers, and services are clearly separated. This makes sub urban areas which were considered as recreational spots now have been used as expanded residential area. Pekanbaru is one of big cities in Indonesia which is located in a strategic location. Pekanbaru has 12 sub-districts and 58 villages in approximately 632.26 km 2 area. 24% of the area has been used as residential area (around 75% of this area), government offices, trading area, educational area, industrial area, military area, airports, and so on. Around 76% of the city area are protected forest, farms, forest, etc. Pekanbaru needs larger city area since the number of the people is highly increasing. This has led the city to remain narrow available area. The high population is dominated by the high number of migrants in Pekanbaru.Starting from the implementation of local autonomy as stated in the Act Number 32 of 2004 on local governance, local governments are given chances to develop and raise their own economy. Hence, small cities are well developing and attract job seekers to migrate there. The same phenomena also occurs in Pekanbaru which as much as 60.8% of the population are migrants and Pekanbaru has reached up to 9.2% of economic growth every year (Dinas Kependudukan dan Catatan Sipil, 2010). Migrants refer to residents who live in Pekanbaru in a certain length of time and who have fulfilled conditions as migrants in the form of Kartu Ijin Pendatang (KIP) which is an identity card for legal migrants given by the municipal government issued by the Dinas Kependudukan dan Catatan Sipil (Distardukcapil), according to Local Act No.5 of 2008. Subagyo (2002 stated that environmental damages are triggered by two factors; natural factors and human made factors. Those factors are highly correlated to each other since environmental damages caused by natural events mi...