Journal of Southeast Asian Economies (JSEAE)

Despite growing investment from leading automotive makers, particularly Japanese companies, the Indonesian automotive sector is still struggling to ensure decent work. This article makes a particular attempt to analyse the close links between Decent Work (DW) and Global Production Networks (GPNs) in the Indonesian automotive sector, whilst scrutinizing the existing literature that has covered the two concepts in separate frameworks. More specifically, this article examines the employment opportunities and adequate earnings of local employees within the DW framework in the country’s automotive sector with the expansion of GPNs. It finds that although there were greater opportunities for skilled workers to upgrade capabilities and enjoy improved welfare outcomes, there are still many more less-skilled workers remaining in precarious conditions.