Jakarta, Feb. 2 -- Indonesia's status as an upper-middle-income country (UMIC) is often seen as a sign of progress-a recognition that the nation's economy is moving up on the global map.

However, beneath that status lies an irony that is hard to ignore. Economic growth, often celebrated through figures and percentages, has yet to fully materialize as tangible prosperity for the majority of the population.

It is only natural that debates regarding the direction of national development emerged, especially as the domestic job market shows signs of fragility in creating jobs for the skilled workforce broadly and sustainably.

The World Bank's latest report sets the global prosperity threshold for UMICs at US$8.30 per person per day, based o...