Efektivitas Sistem Ekonomi Islam dalam Mengatasi Ketimpangan Ekonomi dan Pengangguran di indonesia

Abstract

Economic growth does not necessarily ensure that the benefits of development are distributed evenly across society. Income inequality and limited employment opportunities indicate that certain groups still lack adequate access to economic opportunities. This study examines how Islamic economics can serve as an empowerment framework to expand economic access while reducing inequality and unemployment in Indonesia. The study employs a qualitative approach based on a literature review of academic books, scholarly articles, institutional reports, and previous studies concerning zakat, productive waqf, Islamic finance, and economic empowerment. The collected literature was analyzed descriptively by examining its content and classifying the findings according to the respective contributions of each instrument. The findings indicate that the strength of Islamic economics lies not only in its distributive function but also in its capacity to transform social resources into support for productive economic activities. Zakat can be utilized to foster the economic independence of its beneficiaries, while waqf can be developed into productive assets that generate sustainable benefits. Meanwhile, Islamic finance can provide access to funding for business actors who remain inadequately served by conventional financial services. However, the effectiveness of these instruments is still constrained by limited financial literacy, managerial capacity, governance issues, and weak integration among the various instruments. Therefore, the development of Islamic economics needs to be embedded within an integrated empowerment ecosystem so that its contribution to equitable welfare and the creation of employment opportunities can become more tangible.